INFINITE FANART By @n0bluev On Tumblr!

LITTLE YUUJI FANART by @n0bluev on Tumblr!

ANOTHER PIECE OF ART ENJKNEW;FEKEF- I squealed when I saw this (as well as all the other fanarts but shhh) Yuuji looks so soft in this!! The tears are so symbolic to the inner turmoil surrounding Yuuji both within and the people around him! I could write an essay on this, but that would include too many spoilers for the future of the story ;)

Also...TIGER ONESIE!!! Ryomen definitely bought several tiger onesies in different colors when Yuuji was a baby. And he continues to do so as Yuuji gets older. Tiger Onesies Are Eternal.

And the MARKINGS!!!! AHHH- I have been doing some concepts of baby Yuuji's markings and none of them look right. They either looked too clunky or just plain ugly. THIS THO!! THIS. THIS IS INCREDIBLE. @n0bluev does it again! These markings both look like tattoos and birthmarks, which I really adore. I wanted Yuuji's markings to be different then Sukuna and Ryomen's, but it never looked right. I think making the markings match his skintone instead of being the black tattoos Sukuna and Ryomen have really makes it look softer and less distracting.

Baby Yuuji is love. Baby Yuuji is life. He is the most adorable child in the world. I DON'T MAKE THE RULES!

noobs i got 26

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

hastily slapped this together in a few seconds

MY LAPTOP BROKE 😭😭😭😭

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WRITE ABOUT MY SILLY GUYS NOW???

I NEED TO USE MY PHONE LIKE IM 13 AGAIN NOOOOO

Cursed Guardians (A JJK Fic)

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There was something truly comforting in a well-made dessert. It was easy to tell that there was clear effort put into the sweet treat. Skill too. Experienced bakers could create the most delicious of  foods with the simplest of ingredients. They can make any dessert look beautiful as well, so beautiful it hurts when you have to take a bite. Candy was not as much of a labor of love, but it brought memories of happier times with its burst of sugary flavors. Additionally, it was a great way to get a quick energy boost when your curse technique burns through energy like a steam train. All in all, sweets had never been associated with anything negative. 

So why…

“Why am I crying?” Satoru spoke with his mouth full of the pastry he just bit into.

He had never been a person with manners. No matter how many times his clan elders or Yaga or even Suguru reprimanded him for his total lack of respect and etiquette, Satoru remained the least polite person on the planet. His tears streamed down his face, causing the teen to taste a slight saltiness when his tears reached his mouth. 

“Beats me. I only teared up when I tasted it for the first time.”  A man in a blindfold with stark white hair replied as he leaned back in his chair with a grin. He was dressed in a black shirt and white pants. The outfit’s resemblance to the man who had nearly killed Satoru had made the younger boy shiver. When the elder explained why he wore the ensemble, all of Satoru’s worries were mostly put at ease. He was a tall man that made Satoru feel like a toddler in comparison. Scars littered every inch of pale skin visible. It looked like the older one had been put through some shredding machine and lived. Despite his scarred skin, the man didn’t seem to be in any pain as he stretched his broad arms over his head. “You’re just a cry baby.”

Quick to forget the sadness Satoru was feeling, he dropped his fork to slam his hands on the small table. “I am not, old man!”

“Hey! I am not old!”

“Says the man with gray hair.”

“We have the same hair color, kid.”

“Nope. Mine’s more of a snow-white. Your’s is definitely much duller ‘cause you’re old.”

“...I think I finally understand Yaga now.” 

“Because you’re both old?”

A lollipop was thrown at Satoru’s face, no Infinity to prevent it from touching. However, the teen didn’t care. It felt nice to be a normal teen with normal teenager capabilities. Even if temporarily, the perpetual weight on Satoru’s shoulders was lifted, and he relaxed further into his own chair. Wiping his eyes with his hand and placing his fork down, Satoru picked up the fallen lollipop and began unwrapping it, only to find that the candy had been broken from the throw. He frowned. “You’re a dick.”

“That makes you one too, little shit.” 

Gojo Satoru looked at his apparent alternate self with a raised brow. It was hard to believe the man considering he had been a monstrous entity who had terrified Satoru hours ago. Well, it felt like hours had passed, but Satoru had no idea as to how much time had passed in the real world. One moment he was fighting for his life and the next he was at a bakery eating with a man who shared too many similarities with him. While the reprieve from battle was appreciated, Satoru knew that Nanami was still missing and Suguru was likely panicking with him out of commission. When he had first appeared in this strange mindscape, Satoru was horrified to find that all his powers were gone. Even his Six Eyes had disappeared. Before he could panic, the man currently eating with him had popped out of nowhere. 

“Kid, I know this is really confusing for you, but I need you to listen to me.”

“I can’t let you leave until I’ve shown you what you needed to see.”

“There’s no need to be scared, little me, you’re with the strongest sorcerer in the world! Gojo Satoru, the original! Just call me Infinite, ‘kay?”

It was quite difficult to believe that Infinite was not who he said he was, but Satoru knew better than to trust anyone’s word besides his own…Or maybe Suguru’s and Shoko’s. Whatever. No one else’s opinion mattered to Satoru. However, this older version of him was hard to ignore. Especially since the man had taken Satoru on a tour of the best bakery he had ever seen. Infinite had shown the teenager this place, which somehow served all of Satoru’s favorite treats. Even the more obscure desserts that Satoru had tried on a whim and loved. For example, the manifested bakery served the strange crunchy, fluffy thing that was covered in powdered sugar that Satoru had tried in a sketchy convenience store a while ago. He did not even know what the treat was, but it appeared in the strange bakery all the same. No one knew about Satoru’s more random sugary finds. Listening to Satoru’s rants about regular desserts was more than enough, so nobody wanted to learn about Satoru’s odder adventures in satiating his infamous sweet tooth.

The evidence was on Infinite’s side, but Satoru was nothing if not stubborn. 

Not having his Six Eyes was the main reason as to why Satoru was so hesitant to trust the man. If he had his ability to see the unseeable, Satoru would not have had this many doubts. However, the pastry that Infinite had just given him only proved he was telling the truth even more.

On the outside, the pastry did not look like the perfectly constructed desserts Satoru was used to buying. It was a simple apple pie that had definitely seen better days. The crust was golden brown, but it was quite uneven and lumpy. An attempt at a lattice was on top, asymmetrical and torn in some areas. Despite how rough it looked, the taste of the pie itself could only be described as comforting.  The pie was warm like it was just taken out of the oven and was stolen before it could completely cool because someone had gotten tired of waiting. Besides the literal warmth of the pastry, the delicious taste made Satoru delightfully warm inside. It was cheesy to say, but the boy didn’t care. Saturu was someone that could not emit heat of his own. His peers always joked that he could make a snowman shiver or freeze water if he touched it. No matter what he did, his coldness never went away. People would flinch when his cold hands touched them suddenly. He couldn’t provide the comfort his friends gave him. Compared to Satoru, Suguru was a living heater with his constant heat. Whenever Suguru embraced him, Satoru melted into his hold. Satoru could never do the same for his best friend. Or anyone. 

But he was warm right now. 

The gooeyness of the apple filling caused memories of gentle touches and lullabies to appear. All the spices and sugars mixed wonderfully to produce a taste so comforting that tears spilled from Satoru’s eyes the moment he tried it. While the crust and lattice were not pleasing on the eyes, its buttery flavor made all the tension in Satoru’s body dissipate. 

There was an additional element to this pie, however. It was delicious and comforting and so warm…yet there was a sadness that permeated each tiny crumb.

“I’m sorry that you can taste his feelings in the pie. I know he would have hated that, but this place is made of my memories, so I can’t change it.” Infinite sighed and placed his chin on one of his palms. There was an untouched slice in front of the older man with steam gently rising from the fresh pastry. 

“He?” Satoru let his surprise show. He did not have his glasses either to shield his expressive eyes, so the teen had all of his reactions on full display.

“Yup. He. I know that Yuna-san had made it for us when we were children, but someone very dear to me tried to replicate it.” A raspiness made its way into Infinite’s voice, revealing how difficult it was for him to talk about this cherished person. The elder cleared his throat and offered a soft smile. “I told him about it one day, but I was surprised that he remembered it…It tasted just like her’s.” 

“Yuna-san…” Satoru whispered.

 The woman had been his primary caretaker after his parents died. He had been too little to remember the short time his father had been with him before sickness took him. Yuna was part of the staff that specialized in caring for Satoru’s needs as a young boy. The others treated it like a box to be checked, but Yuna treated Satoru with so much love that he had genuinely thought she was his mother. After a harsh scolding from an elder, Satoru stopped trying to call her ‘Mama’ or ‘Kaa-san’ entirely. Still, he adored Yuna and was uncooperative to anyone that was not her. It got to the point that Satoru refused to listen to his tutors during lessons, his martial arts teachers during training, and especially his instructors meant to teach him about everything surrounding jujutsu sorcery. All because they were not the only maternal figure Satoru ever had. Evidently, the elders were not pleased with the little boy’s worsening rebellious behavior and presented the child with an ultimatum. Either he obeyed and behaved like a respectable person or they would never let Satoru see Yuna again. As any five-year-old would when told such upsetting information, Satoru had a complete meltdown and sobbed for his favorite caretaker. Despite the child’s heartbroken wails, the elders treated it like a tantrum from a spoiled brat. They had simply dragged the crying child to his room and ordered that he could not leave until he apologized for his horrid behavior. Unbeknownst to Satoru, the elders had also commanded that all staff, including Yuna, were not allowed to enter Satoru’s room for the rest of the day. If they went into his room, then the elders would see it as treason and offer a punishment fitting for such a crime against the clan. Without anyone to comfort him, Satoru cried and cried and cried until he ran out of tears. He nearly made himself pass out when his sobbing grew into hyperventilating. He wailed for Yuna over and over again, becoming more upset the longer that he was left alone. 

At some point, Satoru had fallen asleep on the floor and woke up to see that it was night. The child felt sick to his stomach, dizzy, thirsty, and very hungry. His dried tears and snot were uncomfortable on his face and his head pounded from his breakdown. Satoru tried calling for Yuna one last time and started to cry all over again when she didn’t show up. Before his sobbing could transition into ear piercing wails, a gentle knock stopped him. Yuna had finally appeared with a soothing smile on her face. At the time, Satoru was too young to notice the fear and despair hidden in the woman’s dark brown eyes. All he knew was that she hadn’t abandoned him and immediately ran to hug her legs tightly. Her warmth washed over Satoru’s body as her gentle voice chided him to be more careful. Yuna gently pried Satoru off and revealed the steaming pie she had in her gloved hands. She had two objects in a pocket in her still messy apron. With his focus on the dessert, Satoru stopped crying and smiled widely with his stomach rumbling. He tugged on her apron, and Yuna let out a warm laugh as she sat down. She took off her apron and placed the pie on top of it, taking off her oven mitts to take out a fork and a water bottle she had swiped. Unsurprisingly, Satoru clambered into her lap and begged for his dessert. When the child usually did this, Yuna would remind Satoru that he needs to eat properly. However, she allowed him to sit in her lap, knowing how horrible Satoru’s day was…and how it was her last day with the energetic boy. In her soothing voice, she spoke of how this dessert was from America and that it was her favorite guilty pleasure growing up. The pie itself was gorgeous with its perfect crust and braided lattice. She told Satoru that she wanted to apologize for being so late and that she wanted him to eat however he wanted tonight. Satoru, too happy to be with his caretaker, did not see Yuna’s watery eyes and quivering lips. He agreed and stabbed his fork into the pie unceremoniously, scooping it into his mouth. When he asked if Yuna was going to eat, she shook her head and said this was all for him. It was delicious and made Satoru forget the trauma he had experienced at the callus hands of the elders. The rest of the night, Yuna told stories that made Satoru giggle and sung lullabies until Satoru fell asleep. 

When Satoru would wake up, Yuna was gone. 

Forever. 

Satoru bit his lip to stop it from quivering. He never spoke of his clan for a reason. His disrespect towards the elders and other clan members was very intentional. When Yuna disappeared, Satoru got quieter. At first glance, it seemed like an improvement to the others. They would be proven wrong as Satoru would spend the rest of his childhood being angry and aggressive towards everyone. In fact, the young boy ran away often, ignoring any attempts at punishment with a scowl. When the elders tried threatening him after his twelveth time running away, Satoru threatened them back and told them how they had no right to boss him around. The preteen spoke about how he would kill them without remorse if they tried reprimanding him again. He said how he would make their deaths as slow and painful as possible because that’s what ‘old, useless geezers like you deserve’. With his piercing, murderous gaze, Satoru successfully managed to terrify the elders enough that they left him alone.

He had gotten used to being alone. 

After Yuna’s death, the members and staff of the Gojo clan feared Satoru, and Satoru never bothered to change their perception of him. In fact, he threatened them often growing up as his strength grew exponentially by the day. The disconnect that formed between Satoru and any other human being made befriending others impossible. Satoru had to treat the world around him as if it was more fragile than glass. A simple high five from him could break someone’s wrist if Satoru was not careful. It was not worth the effort in Satoru’s opinion to restrict himself at all times if he wanted to play with weaklings. Though, labeling others as weaklings was his immature way of dealing with his lack of friends growing up. In actuality, an aching loneliness permeated every waking moment of his childhood, something Satoru hid with a cheeky smile and even worse personality. Spending most of his time by himself caused Satoru to become an arrogant egomaniac. Who wouldn’t? No one had the power he had. No one could best him in a fight. He was leaps and bounds above his own teachers and sorcerers.

 Everything changed when he met Suguru for the first time. As a fellow special grade, Suguru understood Satoru on a level no one else did. He, Suguru, and Shoko were the only first-years and would become quick friends from spending every single day together. Suguru and Shoko spoke to him like a person, not a god to be feared and revered. It did wonders in weakening the god-complex Saturu had begun forming. He had been truly happy with his friends. 

Then there was Riko’s death by Toji’s bullet. 

Then there was Toji nearly killing Satoru and Suguru.

Then there was the devastating loss of Haibara. 

And Satoru had been alone again. 

Shoko had become buried in her studies in medicine and healing, so she never had time to do anything anymore. Any time spent with her was short and silent as Shoko smoked countless cigarettes or fell asleep mid-conversation. The following months after the failed Star Plasma mission were a blur for Satoru as he spent many sleepless nights mastering his techniques and being sent on endless missions. He lost count of the amount of nightmares Satoru had. He would wake up screaming more often than not, but nobody came to comfort him. In the past, Suguru would break down Satoru’s door the second the black-haired teen suspected something was wrong. This time, Suguru never came. Suguru rarely spoke after the incident, no matter how hard Satoru tried. It was like talking to a wall. Any words Suguru did say were quiet and empty, nothing like his usual lively and smooth voice. When Haibara died, Nanami had locked himself in his room for days and refused to interact with anyone outside of missions. It was a loss that hit the group hard. Satoru, Shoko, Suguru, Nanami, and Haibara had been a tight-knit group for a long time. Despite this, they spent no time grieving together. Satoru would try to go to Suguru when the grief got too great, but the other was somehow even more unresponsive than before. At that point, Satoru gave up. The higher-ups sent Satoru on more missions with the loss of Haibara and Nanami being ‘unavailable’. Words were not enough to describe the agony that Satoru had felt when he was no longer allowed to be sent on missions with Suguru. He had noticed the decline of his best friend first-hand. Suguru never smiled anymore and his usual neat hair grew tangled and greasy. Even with the presence of his remaining friends, the loneliness that Satoru had thought he had forgotten about crept up behind him like a spider about to entangle its prey. 

“Makes you think a lot, huh?” Infinite’s voice broke Satoru out of his whirlwind of thoughts and memories. For a moment, Satoru had genuinely forgotten about what he was doing. With a knowing smile, the scarred man stood up and pointed to the endless land before them. “Now that I’ve let you reminisce for a bit, it’s my turn to walk down memory lane. Come on, I’m on a time limit here.”

Satoru could barely mumble a response before Infinite warped them to an unfamiliar house. It looked like it was straight from a magazine. While decorated, the place held no sense of warmth or coziness. Based on the pristine state of the white couch, carpet, marble, everything , it was obviously not lived in. Infinite towered over Satoru, a feat most could not accomplish with Satoru’s own lengthy limbs, lips pressed into a thin line. Infinite gestured his head to the side that led to the kitchen, expecting Satoru to follow without a word. Which he did. There was a heaviness in the atmosphere that was preventing the chatty teen from saying anything. Once they reached the kitchen, the reason for the heaviness was apparent.

A boy with pink hair was sobbing next to an open oven. He was curled up in a fetal position, his legs being hugged tight by trembling arms while his face was buried into his knees. Still without his six-eyes, Satoru could not pinpoint the nature of the crying boy or the place he was in. Based on Infinite’s earlier words and the blurred edges of the house, this was a memory of his older doppelganger. However, the painful sobs of the boy made any attempts at analysis halt in Satoru’s mind. Upon getting a closer look, Satoru saw the broken remains of an apple pie on the floor. The pan was metal so it was not broken, but the pie itself was damaged. The identity of the ‘he’ Infinite had mentioned earlier clicked. Satoru could see why Infinite had sounded so pained when speaking about the boy. Even Satoru was feeling an ache in his chest as the boy continued to sob uncontrollably. He was younger than Satoru, which made the ache even worse. The warmth of the open oven was overshadowed by the sheer devastation the pink-haired boy was emitting. At first glance, it could be seen as silly for someone to be so broken over dropping a pie. However, Satoru knew better than to assume the boy was crying for that one reason.

Footsteps from behind Infinite and Satoru alerted them of another presence. Infinite was stone-faced with his fists clenched tightly. Glitches seemed to occur in Infinite’s body, reminding Satoru of a faulty video game. However, the new arrival prevented any further questioning. A man that looked exactly like an unscarred Infinite ran into the kitchen. The crying boy did not react to the man’s gentle nudges at all. 

“ Yuuji-kun, what’s wrong? We’ve been looking for you all day, and you haven’t responded to anyone’s calls or texts. ” After closing the oven door, the man knelt down in front of the boy, carefully taking the boy’s trembling hands into his own. He kept his movements slow and gentle, treating the younger like a spooked animal. A soft sigh escaped the man as the boy’s cries continued. Eyes identical to Satoru’s own held a mixture of grief, pain, and anger. It was a look that Satoru had had when he had learned of Haibara’s death. Clearly, this boy meant a lot to Satoru’s second look-alike for the man to have such a reaction. Without hesitation, the man embraced the shaking boy, hands soothing over his back. “ We were so worried, Yuuji-kun. You know how dangerous it is to travel alone with Sukuna and Kenjaku out there .”

The name of the most feared entity in the world caused Satoru to jolt. Sukuna was supposed to be a thing of the past, no chance of him ever appearing in the future. Satoru glanced at Infinite again, but could gather nothing from Infinite’s expression. The glitches, however, had gotten more frequent. Satoru ignored the unease in his gut to observe the two on the floor. Besides sharing the same eyes and hair, the man held a similar cadence to Satoru’s voice. It was deeper, but all the other tells were the same. He simply sounded and looked like an older Satoru. On the other hand, Infinite looked more like a broken copy of Gojo Satoru. 

Satoru decided to call the man hugging the pink-haired boy Gojo. Infinite had his own name, and no version of Satoru would be left nameless! Additionally, he hated being called Gojo as it made him feel old. Thus, making the name choice perfect for this older version of him! Said version was speaking quietly to the boy, continuing to rub the poor child’s back. Eventually, the sobs turned into sniffles, and Gojo leaned back. Yuuji, which is what Gojo seemed to call him, was reluctant to let go. Gojo held the boy’s hands again to supplement the absence of his hug. As his thumb soothed over smaller ones, Satoru noticed how Yuuji’s hands were covered in scars. The skin of his knuckles was worn and bore heavy scarring. What caught Satoru off guard was the missing pinky on his left hand. Based on the gruesome scars left behind, it was likely that the appendage had been ripped off.

With a worsening feeling of dread building within him, Satoru had no choice but to watch the broken exchanges between Gojo and this ‘Yuuji-kun’ he cared so much about. The words they spoke to each other in comfort had the complete opposite effect on Satoru. Mentions of Sukuna, Megumi, someone named Kenjaku, something happening in Shibuya, the ominous Culling Games, the date December Twenty-Fourth, and so much more that Saturu did not understand. He felt especially sick at the talk about saving Megumi, the little boy Satoru had unofficially adopted last year, from Sukuna’s grasp. Countless apologies flooded from Yuuji’s lips, which were met with gentle reassurances from Gojo. From what Satoru had heard, Gojo was Yuuji’s teacher. It seemed ridiculous to imagine himself as a teacher, but Gojo acted like helping his distressed student was as easy as breathing. The clear adoration and trust Yuuji exhibited for his teacher only disproved Satoru’s doubts. 

“Is that why you ran off to this safehouse? To make this for me?”

“...Yeah. Your fight with Sukuna is tomorrow, Sensei, so I wanted to make the pie you told me about. Do something good… But I messed up…”

“Nonsense, Yuuji-kun! Your cooking has always been the best, and I bet your baking is just as good! The pie isn’t unsalvageable! The stuff is still in the pan, so let’s bake that stuff! We wouldn’t want it to go to waste!”

“But Sensei-”

“But nothing! We’re going to bake this pie, it’s gonna be delicious, and then we will go to eat dinner with the others, okay? Choso will probably refuse to let you go for the remainder of the day, but no one is actually mad at you. Everything is going to be alright, Yuuji-kun. Your Sensei will win, and this mess will finally be over. Does that sound good, Yuuji-kun?”

“Yeah…Yeah it does.”

Yuuji uncurled completely and lifted his head. Before Satoru could see any other features besides the boy’s golden-eyes, the surroundings around them disappeared into a void of black. All the dread that had been building up within Satoru reached its peak as he saw the glitching form of Infinite towering over him. His mask was still on, but Satoru could still feel the other’s gaze boring into him. 

“Do you finally believe me?” Infinite tilted his head like a curious bird. His arms were behind his back, further increasing Satoru’s unease. 

“Huh?” His sudden fear had clouded over Satoru’s more rational mind. He was frantically trying to remember what Infinite was talking about, but his chaotic thoughts offered no answers.

A giggle left Infinite. “Do you finally believe that I’m Gojo Satoru? I’ve made the effort to prove that I am telling the truth. I’ve shown you things that no other soul is supposed to know. I was generous enough to show you a memory of mine to prove that I’m not a mindless curse. It was even a memory that held information that will be useful to you in the future.” 

The question unsettled Satoru. It reminded the boy that the pleasant bakery Infinite had shown him and the memories Infinite had resurfaced and shown was not done out of kindness. Taking away his Six Eyes and Limitless technique was not done to give Satoru the reprieve he desperately needed. No. It was all done for Infinite’s benefit alone. He had been foolish to even entertain that such a monster could be his alternate self. His guard had been let down from the painful memories and nostalgic sweets. 

This was all an illusion conjured up by a twisted abomination. 

Nanami and Suguru still needed him. 

“No. I don’t believe you. You were pretty damn convincing, but it wasn’t enough!” Satoru readied his body for a fight, lifting his fists. His powers weren’t back, so Infinite had the advantage in a potential battle. Even so, Satoru was not going to let this monster continue to manipulate him any longer! “You’re not me!”

“Is that your final answer?”

“YES! You’re making me hallucinate because you’re a fucking monster!”

“Ugh. I knew you were going to be stubborn, but I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. Sorry, kid. I don’t have the time to convince you any further, so we’re gonna do things my way.”

“Wh-”

In a blink, Infinite grabbed Satoru by the throat and lifted him into the air with one hand. His blindfold had vanished, revealing eyes that caused terror to surge through the teen. The grip on his throat was too strong for Satoru to escape from but not tight enough to suffocate. However, Satoru was only capable of extremely shallow and painful breaths, making his remaining strength dissipate. He had no choice but to stare at Infinite’s crazed face. Each glitch that appeared on Infinite’s body revealed the true nature of the creature slowly strangling him. The eyes of Gojo Satoru had always been his most well known feature. Seeing his eyes on this imposter was more unsettling than Satoru wanted to admit. While the striking color was the same, Infinite’s pupils were a cloudy white. It was the cloudiness that marked the end of a life. The eyes of a corpse. Not to mention, there were six of them. The main pair was staring at Satoru like a piece of meat. The upper pair of eyes were completely black while the lower pair was fully clouded over with blood leaking from them. Satoru tried to thrash around to escape, but the appearance of claws stopped him. This was it. This was the monster that had tormented Nanami and made Satoru feel weak for the first time. 

“I’ll make this quick. I am the cursed soul of Gojo Satoru, a sorcerer who perished in a world that no longer exists. It’s like resetting a computer. All the information is gone, so you gotta start all over again. Us cursed souls are like some random codes that stuck around. Make sense?” The squeeze to Satoru’s throat did not allow the teen to answer. Infinite’s hand did not budge even with the frantic clawing and thrashing from Satoru. “Codes can get corrupted, though. So corrupted that there is no resemblance to what they were prior to said corruption. That’s a cursed soul. We are what little remains of an erased world. We’re a sliver of a whole. So you can imagine that we’re not all there.” Infinite used his other hand to tap at the side of his head. His crazed expression grew into something dangerous as the grip on Satoru’s throat tightened so suddenly that Satoru’s vision went black for a moment. 

When the grip eased, Satoru felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes. Black spots were still in his vision, and his chest was in agony from the lack of oxygen. All of his struggles proved futile in Infinite’s iron grip. His words were swirling in Satoru’s head. While it was there, it wasn’t sinking in yet for him to form a coherent thought about it. Wheezes escaped Satoru’s lips and his hands tried to claw at Infinite for the umpteenth time. His lungs ached, yet his heart was pounding in his ears. Fear surged through Satoru as Infinite suddenly squeezed harder. His grip tightened and tightened and tightened until Satoru could feel his eyes bulge out of his head. The black spots grew, and the ache within his lungs turned into an inferno of pain. His body was screaming at the boy to take a breath, but Satoru’s windpipe was currently being crushed. Tears of pure terror flowed down Satoru’s throat. His mind was blaring alarm bells, telling Satoru that he would die if he did not take a breath. It hurt . Satoru’s chest spasmed with the desperate attempts at taking in a breath. He could not stop his body from trying to get air, causing indescribable agony for the poor boy. Fuck. He was going to die. He was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it this time. Suguru and Nanami still needed him! He couldn’t die! But his brain was fuzzy and his chest hurt too much to care. Satoru felt a wave of exhaustion hit him. His eyes were fluttering and his limbs had gone slack. 

Then Satoru was released.

Immediately, Satoru inhaled deeply to get as much air as possible. He held his throat as a coughing fit overwhelmed him. All his prior dignity was shattered as pitiful sobs shook Satoru’s lean frame. His resolve to defeat Infinite was gone. The mere thought of the other made Satoru scramble frantically to create distance. Infinite was staring at Satoru like the teen was an animal in a zoo exhibit. His body had grown long and spindly as Infinite slowly stalked towards Satoru’s retreating form. Even with his slow gait, Infinite reached Satoru once more. When he was close enough, Infinite crouched down and stared at Satoru, who had stopped trying to get away. 

“My bad. I lost myself for a bit there. This stable state doesn’t last that long, ya know? That’s why I’m in a bit of a rush.” Infinite grinned at the shaken teen. Sweat covered Satoru’s heaving form, caused by the fear and strain from being strangled. “I intended to show you everything slowly. Ease you into it. But convincing you to believe me took more time and effort than I thought, so you don’t have that luxury anymore.”

“Show me what.” Satoru spat with a raspy voice. 

“Everything I suppose.” Infinite sat down with his legs crossed. Though, it looked more like a snake coiling itself up to strike. “We’ve always been the strongest. It’s our burden to bear that cannot be shared with anyone. Afterall, we have something no one else has. Our Six-Eyes are much more powerful than you think. It transcends time. We can perceive something as long as we want and no time would have passed in the real world. Currently, seconds have only passed. Suguru has not realized what is going on. I’ve already shown Nanami what I need him to know and I will soon talk to Suguru. The aftermath of showing you three such things will be much more time consuming in reality than the act of speaking with you in the first place. Don’t worry though! Suguru and Nanami will be alright! I’m not as sure as to what will happen to you, though.”

The mentions of his friends caused Satoru to tense. Is that why Nanami suddenly disappeared? If Infinite had been aggressive and terrifying with Satoru, then who knows how unstable he would be with Suguru. What had Infinite shown Nanami? What information does Infinite need to show him? Satoru gritted his teeth. He was sick of Infinite’s vagueness. “If you’re in such a rush, just spit it out already! I have never been very patient with ugly pieces of shit!”

His nasty remark only elicited a laugh from Infinite. “Spicy! I forgot about how bratty I was as a teenager!” In seconds, Infinite’s jovial tone disappeared. His constantly switching moods were disorienting for Satoru, but he knew he was slightly similar in that regard. The air grew impossibly colder as Infinite stood and walked a good distance away. Despite his glitching form, Infinite had no problems with moving. His arms spread wide as the glitches took over his body. Where a man once stood, there was no the same beast that had terrorized Satoru. A shriek of laughter left the beak of the creature as Infinite crawled on all fours to the horrified teen. Somehow, his talons left gouges in the empty void as if he was walking on a real floor. Infinite’s tail spread out to the fullest, countless eyes staring at Satoru with the intensity of a thousand suns. 

All of Satoru’s limbs were paralyzed. Despite his desperate desire to run, Satoru could not make a single finger twitch. His body was not listening to his brain's frantic commands.

A distorted voice filled his ears, and Satoru felt his heart stop.

You’ve been a pain to deal with, kid. You’re lucky that I need you alive or else I would have killed you long ago. 

Listen. This world is a new, altered copy of an old one. What occurred in the old world we cursed souls are from cannot happen again. This is why I need to show you and your friends certain pieces of information. I’m sorry for attacking you. I’m not supposed to be able to speak or think this clearly in the first place. It’s a secret that you have to keep. My awareness is underestimated, and I’d like to keep it that way. So no telling. Especially Sukuna! 

And if you do tell, no one will believe you because I will revert back to a beast the moment I’m done speaking with you boys. This may be the last time I’ll ever get to be lucid again, so you better shut your trap and listen.

I know that you don’t deserve this, but I don’t have any other options. We’re the strongest in every world, kid. I was hoping that you would be able to live a more peaceful life than mine, but the world is a cruel place. Listen very carefully, okay? Sukuna has returned. His allegiances and goals are much more beneficial than before, so I highly suggest gaining his trust. You have the chance that I never did of having a better world, but you will need Sukuna’s help. A much greater evil will emerge, and you will lose without Sukuna. If he thinks for a second that you or the other sorcerers are a threat, then he will kill everyone. 

If you are going to listen to anything, listen to this. Sukuna’s sole purpose in life is to protect Itadori Yuuji. It’s my and the other cursed souls' purpose as well. We will not show mercy if Yuuji is harmed by any of you. That is a promise. Got it? Good. Moving on.

As an inheritor of the Six-Eyes and Limitless, your brain is capable of handling vast amounts of information without imploding in on itself. What I showed Nanami and will show Suguru is miniscule compared to what I am going to show you. 

You will receive twenty-nine years of information in the span of twenty-nine minutes. The memory I showed you earlier was real, and you will see many memories like it. I don’t care if you don’t believe me anymore. It’s your funeral if you don’t.

If you are idiotic enough to ignore everything I have said, then I will take matters into my own hands to ensure that Yuuji is safe and cared for. Trust me when I say that you do NOT want that to happen. You may be my alternate self, and I do want you to live a good life, but Yuuji’s happiness is my number one priority. 

Now, then. Are you ready?

“N-No…” Satoru gasped out. He wasn’t ready. He didn’t want to be ready. Ever . What Infinite had just told him was already frying Satoru’s brain. How the hell would he manage to handle over two decades of information?! Having the constant input of his Six Eyes was one thing, but such vast amounts of data, memories, and whatever else is too much! The past year has been so horrible already. He didn’t want to know anything that Infinite had to show him! So what if he’s the strongest?! He’s just a teenager! 

Are you scared?

The strangely gentle tone spooked Satoru. He still could not move, but he was able to grit his teeth in frustration. “I’m not! I don’t want to listen to your bullshit!”

It’s not bullshit. I know this year has been hard. I went through the same thing, only it got even worse. 

“You’re not me for fuck’s sake!” His angry shout sounded more like a choked sob. A quiet hum came from Infinite in response. Satoru’s head pounded from the stress while his lungs continued to ache fiercely. He hated him. He hated Infinite so much. “JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!”

Suguru was supposed to defect today. 

Satoru froze. 

This very night, Suguru was supposed to leave Jujutsu High in secret. He was supposed to leave on a train, get assigned a sudden mission to a village whilst on the train, go to the village, and slaughter every civilian in it. Over a hundred died by Suguru’s hand in a single night. This night. If I hadn’t intervened and caused trouble in Sendai, you would have never been sent on this mission with Nanami. Neither of you would have called Suguru. And Suguru would have done the same thing he did in my world. Because I intervened, Suguru is with you instead of that train. 

“Suguru was going to…” The teen trailed off before he could finish such a terrible sentence. His desire to defend his best friend was competing with the many worrying signs that Suguru was going down a dark path. Satoru had seen the emptiness within Suguru grow by the day. He noticed Suguru’s lack of scolding when Satoru would say something rude about non-sorcerers. He is aware that with Satoru and Suguru being assigned separate missions, Suguru has spent more time alone than ever before. He has heard Suguru mutter to himself time and time again when the black-haired boy thought he was alone. He remembers Yaga’s concerned eyes when Suguru stopped participating in class. He knew that Suguru had been distancing himself from everyone the day after collecting Riko’s corpse from the Children of the Star facility. Satoru’s denial was completely shattered with his last thought.

The few times that Suguru spoke, it was always about getting rid of the ‘monkeys’.

His mouth went dry at the realization that Infinite was trying to help Satoru. The person who benefited the most from Suguru’s presence is Satoru. Losing Suguru would be too devastating for Satoru to handle. If Infinite, this crazed monster, was telling the truth, then he had to experience the loss of his one and only today. 

It’s in the world’s best interest if Suguru does not become a curse user. You’ll need to stop him from such a fate. If you fail and Suguru commits to his plan of massacring all non-sorcerers, then you must do everything you can to keep him alive. His abilities are greatly sought after by an entity named Kenjaku. No matter what, Suguru cannot come under Kenjaku’s control. Kenjaku takes over the body of his victims by switching their brain with their victim’s body. They can mimic the behavior of their victim perfectly and they can copy the cursed technique and cursed energy of the body they inhabit as well. The only way that you can detect Kenjaku’s presence is a scar that appears on the forehead of whoever they’re possessing. The scar looks like stitches. 

If all else fails, kill Suguru and make sure to burn his body immediately. Don’t let your feelings get in the way. Having Suguru live is the best choice. I don’t want you to have to go through what I did, so please listen to what I have to say.

Tears burned behind Satoru’s eyes, but he refused to let them out. The images of his future self killing Suguru mercilessly invaded his mind. He didn’t want that to happen. 

He would make sure it never happens.

“I’m ready. Show me everything.” Satoru steeled himself for the influx of information. His mind was cycling through the names of the people Infinite had mentioned. Sukuna. Yuuji. Kenjaku. He repeated the names in his head to commit it to memory. “You said we’re the strongest, right? The strongest is supposed to protect the weak. Heh. That’s what Suguru used to tell me.”

And he would be right. Despite what he did in my world, my Suguru always had more sense than me. It’s likely that the overload I’m about to give you will cause a degree of brain damage. It won’t kill you, but it will have an effect on your sanity. Hell, you might be stuck in a mindless state for a few months. In my opinion, as a fellow Gojo Satoru, you’ll wake up in a couple days with some screws permanently loose. You’ll have Suguru to help you, so I see no future problems with your diminished sanity. Sound good?

Satoru let out a wet laugh. He pushed down all his worry and dread with a harsh swallow. The boy smiled widely with a cocky look in his eyes.  “Well, we’ve always been the strongest, not the sanest, right?” 

Right! Good attitude to have, kid. I know I’m making you sacrifice a lot and not giving you a choice to say no. You’re still so young. You should be enjoying your youth with your friends. 

“Yah don’t say.”

Let me finish brat. It’s likely that Kenjaku is going to be an even bigger threat than before. You’ll see why that’s super bad really soon. 

“Ooo! Lucky me!”

I deserve that, I’ll admit. Anyways! I’m sure that Kenjaku will take ten years to stir up trouble like they did before. You’ll have a decade to prepare. Take care of Megumi and keep an eye on Suguru and Nanami. I might even pop in for a visit during those years. Who knows? Maybe I’ll let you see Yuuji. 

“To be honest, I do want to meet the kid.” A much more genuine tone made its way into Satoru’s voice. 

As would anyone else! Now, I need you to remember not to tell anyone. Use these years to grow stronger and develop a bond with Yuuji. If Yuuji likes you, Sukuna and his vessel Ryomen will…tolerate…you. The higher-ups cannot know about any of this. They won’t believe you and will try to send you to the loony bin anyway. Just talk about it with Suguru and Nanami. Shoko and Yaga are trustworthy, so do as you wish with that. Utahime too. However, you cannot trust Mei Mei or Gakuganji. The old geezer is obvious as to why he’s trustworthy. I can’t remember how Mei Mei is at this age, but the Mei Mei I know only speaks in cash. Maybe try to change that? It’s not a priority but it’ll be a relief for your wallet!

“Huh. Thanks for the tip.”

You’re welcome. And, kid?

“Hm?” Satoru locked eyes with Infinite, who was now centimeters away from his face. The birdlike creature gave the boy a musical trill. The mask around his face disappeared and Satoru saw Infinite’s six eyes again. This time, they were clear, no cloudiness in sight. They each held immense relief and gratitude in them. Satoru took a deep breath, knowing that the banter was over. “So…You gonna do it?”

Infinite cooed in response, getting even closer. He was so close that Satoru could feel the white fur and colorful feathers tickling his chin. The scent of the beast was strange as well. It was like breathing during winter. The air was crisp but it made your nose feel cold. It was an even odder sensation to feel the beast’s fur when Infinite wrapped around Satoru. It was soft and dense with the occupational fluffiness of a feather. Additionally, the outer layer of Infinite’s white fur was cold, yet Satoru could feel the warmth of the bird’s core. It took Satoru a few moments to relax in Infinite’s grip, but he eventually caved in with the lack of attacks on Infinite’s end. It was like being hugged in all directions. Satoru could not help but think of the penguin documentary Megumi had forced him to watch two nights ago. He remembers how Megumi, who was normally grouchy and quiet, lit up as he explained how emperor penguins huddled together to preserve warmth during arctic storms. 

Satoru definitely felt like a penguin at that moment.

It was nice. 

The tip of Infinite’s sharp beak suddenly pressed against Satoru’s forehead. On instinct, the teen closed his eyes. His thoughts all came to a stop as Satoru solely focused on the warmth on his head. Of all things, Infinite’s beak was the warmest part of the bird’s body. It somehow made Satoru relax even more. Warmth was always good in his mind. Infinite spoke once more within the teen’s mind, his voice much more subdued than before. 

You will experience all my pain, all my anger, all my loss within moments.

It’s gonna be agonizing, but you’re strong. Stronger than anyone. 

You’ll be shattered, repaired, and shattered again. 

But you’ll come out stronger. Stronger than me. 

You may feel more alone than ever before after this.

But eventually…

You’ll be happy. So, so happy. I promise you that, kid.

No matter how tough it gets, just remember that everything will turn out amazing in the end. 

I know that you’re going to suffer, but I also know that you’re going to be loved. Megumi may not show it now, but he loves you so much, kid. Yuuji has barely been in this world, but I can already see the endless love he’s going to have for you. 

Suguru is going to love you if you give him the chance to.  Don’t miss that chance.

You’re a good kid. A real good one. Remember that, okay? 

Satoru’s Six-Eyes and Limitless technique immediately returned in full force. 

Everything turned into a blinding white. 

Your life will turn out so much happier and longer than mine could ever hope to be. 

__________

The first thought that went through Suguru’s head was simply: OW .

It felt like every inch of his body had been battered and bruised. Even the tips of his fingers ached. Normally, Suguru would try to sleep off any ailments that he had, refusing to go to Shoko more often than not. As a special grade sorcerer, Suguru was strong enough that most curses were not able to place a scratch on him. The only injuries he ever sustained on missions were the occasional bruise or cut. Sore muscles were not a new thing for Suguru, but the aching within him felt different than a strained muscle. 

All his energy had been sapped away. Suguru’s body desperately wanted to go back to bed, but his mind was too active and chaotic to allow him any opportunities to rest. Reluctantly, the teen opened his eyes with the grogginess of an elderly man. Once he managed to sit up, Suguru wiped the crust from the corners of his eyes and tugged on his cheeks to further wake up. After a few minutes, Suguru was awake enough to notice the strange room he was in. 

He was in the infirmary.

“I see you are awake, Getou-san.”

The quietness of Nanami’s voice caused a jolt of adrenaline to shoot through Suguru. He was startled, sure, but most of his shock came from how beaten Nanami was and the memories that came with his wounds. 

Nanami and Satoru’s terrified pleas. A shriek of laughter. Six monstrous entities. Eyes. Too many eyes. A baby. A bloody man with white hair. The existence of cursed s-

In an instant, Suguru jumped from his bed to kneel next to Nanami’s. His legs were too unstable to keep the older teen upright, so his short journey to the younger caused several things to crash. He grasped the white sheets of the infirmary bed tightly. His breathing turned heavy as he bored his tired eyes into Nanami’s surprised ones. Suguru analyzed every part of the blonde’s face. Once he was sure that Nanami was not a hallucination and was actually a living breathing person, he sat back on his heels with a sigh. 

Never one to beat around the bush, Nanami broke the silence quite bluntly. “You’ve been unconscious for nearly six days. Yaga-sensei and the higher ups are looking into the entities we encountered on our mission. There has also been a halt on all missions for the three of us until Yaga deems us fully recovered.” His left arm went to rub his injured right arm, which was currently in a sling. The hospital gown he was wearing did little to hide the countless bandages wrapped around the boy. There were more than a few burns across Nanami’s pale skin as well. When the younger noticed Suguru’s staring, he sighed like he had aged ten years. Nanami, someone who made sure to look everyone in the eye, was currently glancing anywhere but at Suguru. In fact, the underclassman was staring at the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “Gojo-san is currently being held in one of Tengen-sama’s strongest cells. He woke up a day after I did and immediately tried to attack you. I tried to intervene, but he did not hesitate to attack me as well.” Nanami numbly gestured at his injuries. 

“Satoru attacked you?” Suguru felt like he was in an alternate dimension. The Satoru he knew would rather live without sweets than live in a world where he hurts the ones he cares about. Moreover, Satoru was disrespectful to the higher-ups, but he was smart enough to play along with their cowardly orders. He was strong enough to get away with his behavior, so to hear that his best friend was imprisoned did not sound real. What’s worse, Tengen’s barrier was being used to contain Satoru and Satoru alone. Those barriers were strong enough to keep all curses in Japan, preventing them from spreading into other countries. The fact that one of those barriers is now holding Satoru like a dog in a pound made white-hot anger flow through Suguru. 

“It was done to prevent Gojo-san from killing you.” As if sensing Suguru’s incoming rage, Nanami was quick to respond. Once more, the blonde sighed heavily, his exhaustion evident from the sickly paleness of his sin and the dark bags beneath his eyes. “We were all given hallucinations of some sort by the entity that resembled a draconic bird of prey. Shoko-san said that it’s likely that Gojo-san’s Six-Eyes caused him to experience a much worse hallucination than us, thus causing him to be in an altered state upon waking up.”

“That damn bird.” Suguru snarled beneath his breath. When he tried to remember what the shrieking menace had shown him, Suguru’s head immediately grew fuzzy. It was shocking to hear that Satoru had been restrained for Suguru’s sake, but that was not what was weighing on his mind. What concerned him most was Nanami’s mention of Satoru’s Six-Eyes causing his best friend to suffer intensely. No matter how hard either tried, Satoru could not explain his ability to Suguru and Suguru failed to understand the poor explanations Satoru provided. It was something that could not be put into words, something Suguru hated. To put it simply, Suguru liked knowing things. He refused to be left in the dark about anything, so he often went out of his way to gain any knowledge he lacked on a mission or lesson. This included going to forbidden areas to learn the stories Yaga was forced to omit during teachings. 

And Suguru knew just the place to get the knowledge he needed right now. 

“Shoko-san warned to not exit the infirmary without her permission.” Nanami said monotonously. Though, the boy did nothing to stop Suguru from shakily exiting the cramped room. 

“You got hurt. Satoru’s imprisoned and not acting like himself. I don’t need to know anything else.” While stern, Suguru made sure to keep any anger from his voice. His mind was still reeling, but time was of the essence. He could not afford to waste time being shocked or waiting for Shoko or Yaga to inform him on what happened. Satoru was still in that awful trance, and Suguru did not trust the higher-ups or the Gojo clan elders to not take advantage of his best friend. Every second wasted was a second added to the torture Satoru’s mind was going through. Despite his greasy hair and messy hospital gown, Suguru felt stronger than he has in months. He nodded reassuringly at Nanami. “You need to rest much more than me, Nanami-kun. I’ll take care of things from now on. I apologize for making you take on the work I was supposed to do, I have been weak for far too long. Thank you for carrying that extra burden, but it is now my turn to take it back.”

To anyone else, it would seem that Nanami had not reacted whatsoever to Suguru’s words. However, Suguru had known Nanami long enough that he knew all the tells of the stoic boy’s body. Nanami’s eyes, albeit slightly, had a watery tint to it. His right hand, the hand that Nanami used to carry his blade, twitched. It showed just how much Suguru’s words had meant to him. 

The edges of Nanami’s lips twitched up in a ghost of a smile. “Thank you, Getou-san. Though, to me,  your strength was not diminished in the least. It was simply redirected to something else.” Nanami returned Suguru’s nod. When the underclassman looked up, there was a knowing spark in his eyes. “Be careful with your studies.” 

“I will.” 

.

.

.

After stumbling into his room for proper clothes, Suguru found that there was a fresh uniform left for him on his bed. The suitcases he had packed prior were tucked into a corner, which nearly made Suguru pass out from panic. However, he quickly calmed down when he read the note attached to his uniform. 

If you’re reading this, then I assume you lost enough brain cells to go after Satoru despite being unconscious for several days. Dumbass. 

Here’s one of the uniforms you packed up. You better tell me about those suitcases or else I’ll cut off all your hair and burn it. I’m sure Satoru will help me hold you still. Dumbass. 

Satoru’s meant to be the idiot of the group, so do some magic true love gay shit to bring him back. I can’t handle more than one dumbass at a time. 

Good luck, lover boy.

-Shoko

Suguru had simply pocketed the note, ignoring how his face felt like it was about to burst into flames, and changed into his clean uniform. It was almost pitiful how eager Suguru had been to leave Jujutsu High and the Jujutsu world in general just days ago. Yet, his entire plans had been put to a screeching halt by a loud-mouthed white-haired boy he cared too much about. No one was stopping him from leaving. Hell, Suguru’s suitcases were still fully packed. It’d be easy.

But the thought of leaving now only caused bile to rise in Suguru’s throat.

With one last look at his suitcases and empty room, Suguru made his way to his destination with no further hesitation. 

The Catacombs of the Disgraced Ones

Cursed Guardians (A JJK Fic)

AO3 Link

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Yuuji was an odd child. 

Of course, Ryomen loved his son more than anything else in the world, there was nothing his son could do that would make Ryomen change his stance on that. Even so, he knew that his baby boy was not normal by human standards. Of course, any child who was reborn from mere ashes after one thousand years could not be entirely human. Ryomen was not human either, but he had thought he would know what to expect with his son. Afterall, he had raised Yuuji until his boy died from illness at the tender age of four. In a way, Yuuji was still the same as he was back then. He was still the bubbly, bright child Ryomen adored. 

But there were changes. Very concerning changes. 

Any baby would develop separation anxiety for their parents, but Yuuji completely shut down when he was alone. He became so terrified that he would be inconsolable for hours. One of his guardians had to be with him at all times in addition to Ryomen or Sukuna. If he was without either, Yuuji would wail until his voice broke. Babies cried and toddlers threw tantrums. That was to be expected, but Yuuji cried for very different reasons. He would only cry when left alone or, which hurt Ryomen’s very soul to admit, when he had violent nightmares. A baby was supposed to cry when they were hungry, needed a change, or scared. The fact that Yuuji only did one of the three meant that Ryomen had to spend many sleepless nights watching the boy to determine when he was hungry or soiled his diaper. Throughout his infancy, Supernova had become Ryomen’s saving grace. The cat was almost always near Yuuji, either curled around him or watching from a distance. Somehow, Supernova was in tune with Yuuji's needs the most and acted as an alert of sorts for Ryomen. He often woke up Ryomen from a fitful sleep to let him know if Yuuji needed something. The cat had learned to become quite good at charades. 

Now, at two-years-old, Ryomen did not have to stay awake for days on end to check on his baby. The boy still had nightmares, but they had become more manageable. There were four different types of nightmares that Yuuji would have. One, the easiest, he would wake up sobbing and would fall back asleep once he, Sukuna, or a guardian held him. Those were normally handled by the guardians, especially Supernova, as they were always ready to comfort the boy.  Two, he would be so scared that he would not settle down or go back to sleep unless Ryomen, Sukuna, and all the guardians were in the room. This would cause Ryomen to purchase the largest blankets and pillows he could find, so they could create a giant pillow fort on the couch for everyone to fit. Three, he would only be willing to be near one specific person or guardian depending on the nightmare, which even included him hugging a very non-huggable Resonance as tightly as he could and refusing to let her go for the rest of the night. It had taken the longest to figure out those nightmares. Four, the rarest, he would wake up in a panicked state and would not allow anyone to come near him, including his guardians. Yuuji would flinch at all touch and attempts to speak to him. The only thing that Ryomen and the others could do was keep him company until Yuuji came to his senses himself. 

No two-year-old should have so many nightmares. 

Ryomen had tried to ask Sukuna about it, but the curse would change the subject immediately. They had been sharing a body for centuries, so Ryomen knew everything about Sukuna. Seeing Sukuna’s obvious attempts at deflecting made alarm bells ring in Ryomen’s mind. He had always known that Sukuna hid things from him, and he had made peace with it long ago. The haunted looks Sukuna would get at the oddest times or the times where he would sense an incredible guilt within the ancient being…It was as worrisome as it was suspicious. However, it did not matter how many times Ryomen would press, Sukuna wouldn’t open up. 

This was different. He was hiding something about Yuuji. 

“Papa!”

“Yes, hon?” With practiced ease, Ryomen shoved down his thoughts about Sukuna. It wasn’t worth the energy to speculate on something he would never get the answers to. The tiny hands around his leg would always be more important. Yuuji was clinging onto his leg with his smiling face tugging at Ryomen’s heartstrings. “Are you hungry?”

A soft meow answered his question. Yuuji looked sheepish as he buried his face in his father’s leg with an impossibly small nod. Wrapped around his tiny shoulders was an equally tiny Supernova, who was purring into the boy's fluffy, pink hair. Any questions directed towards Yuuji’s wellbeing were always met with the boy going quiet. Another odd thing. Ryomen remembered how his son would never hesitate to tell him if he was hungry, thirsty, or tired. Yuuji back then was never afraid to express himself. The little boy Ryomen had now clammed up at those questions. Yuuji would even look unreasonably guilty whenever Ryomen guessed what he wanted or his guardians pointed it out. As if he was guilty for having basic needs. 

No two-year-old should bear so much guilt. 

Supernova jumped onto the kitchen counter and pawed at the eggs Ryomen was currently frying, not flinching at all at the heat of the pan. The cat quickly went back to Yuuji and grew in size. He plucked the toddler by the scruff of his onesie, detaching the boy from Ryomen’s legs to allow the man the right to move again. Ryomen knelt down and ruffled Yuuji’s head. 

“You good with eggs and bacon for breakfast, Yuuji? I’m sure your Uncle Kuna would love some bacon.” At the mere mention of the curse, the toddler lit up like the sun. He could not figure out why Yuuji was so attached to Sukuna, but he had an inkling that it was due to the many naps Sukuna and Yuuji shared throughout the day. Sukuna had slowed down over the years, becoming almost docile. The cause of this change was the worsening of the chronic fatigue Sukuna seemed to experience day in and day out. Ryomen, for once, had been worried about the curse. However, his concerns were put to rest as he noticed Sukuna becoming much more active and perk up after adopting Yuuji’s napping schedule. Now, Yuuji would take all his naps on his living mattress Sukuna, and the curse would quickly fall asleep with him. It was surprisingly endearing. 

“What is this I hear about having fried pork belly?” Four pairs of arms snatched Yuuji up, much to Supernova’s displeasure. Sukuna used his bottom pair of arms to hold the boy with his other hands gesturing towards the pan, ignoring the cat biting his leg. “You might want to make more, Ryomen.” 

“And why is that, Sukuna?” Ryomen turned off the stove and slid the cooked egg onto a plate, cutting it up into small pieces. His gaze turned sharp and calculating. He knew exactly what Sukuna was talking about, and had to hold in the anger brewing in his chest. “Is it possible that you invited guests at this hour, even after I specifically told you not to?”

With a cuddly toddler in his arms and a fluffy cat trying to rip a chunk off his leg, Sukuna did not look particularly threatening. His eyes, on the other hand, were just as deadly as ever. He was as upset about this ‘meeting’ as Ryomen was. For the sake of the little boy in his arms, Sukuna kept his tone level. “I sent the message yesterday morning and gave them a fortnight to come. It’s unlikely they will come today, but it is still a possibility.”

“Who coming?” Yuuji patted his chubby hand against Sukuna’s cheek. “Uncle Kuna! Who coming?!” His excited pats soon turned into mild slapping. Despite the harsher hits, Sukuna did not seem to be in any pain. Instead, the curse turned his head so Yuuji’s hand was against his mouth, blowing a raspberry against the chubby appendage. Yuuji squealed and giggled before placing his hand on the wood fused into Sukuna’s face, quickly becoming fascinated by the slab and forgetting the question he had asked. 

“Fine then…How many?” Ryomen turned his back on Sukuna, going to the fridge and getting out a carton of eggs and a packet of bacon. 

“Two were requested, but I allowed them to bring two more if desired. I named who they can bring, so anyone besides the names I listed will be kil- taken care of. ” Sukuna chose his words very carefully, knowing Yuuji was at the stage of mimicking anything he heard like a parrot. “Expect two, but be prepared for four.”

Ryomen was silent for a moment. It was just like Sukuna to act on his own accord without consulting Ryomen. When Ryomen had gotten the anonymous message on the night he found Yuuji, Sukuna had spoken that he knew who the sender was. A curse user named Kenjaku, someone who had a habit of meddling with the lives of others, especially Sukuna’s. With Yuuji still being an infant, the discussions of Kenjaku were held off for the most part. It was only until last week that Sukuna said that they needed to form an alliance with the sorcerers. Specifically, two of them. Getou Suguru and Gojo Satoru. It was the most information Sukuna ever gave Ryomen, but it still had many details missing. Like the date and time of this very important meeting. 

Sukuna told him he would reveal everything at this summons. He said it was because he didn’t want to repeat himself twice, but all that Ryomen cared about were answers. If Kenjaku posed a serious threat against his baby boy, then Ryomen would be willing to do anything to ensure his safety. His own hopes of Sukuna finally revealing the many secrets he had been keeping from Ryomen were put aside. Sukuna would only speak about what was relevant in keeping Yuuji safe, which was enough for Ryomen. His son would always come first.

Doesn’t mean I’m happy with that bastard for putting this on me so suddenly.  With a deep sigh, Ryomen nodded. He took out the leftover onigiri he had made with Yuuji yesterday evening. Luckily, there were plenty left, and Ryomen did not need to heat up anything. Placing the container to the side and closing the fridge, the man locked eyes with the curse and spoke in a sickly-sweet voice. “Sukuna-chan? Would you mind helping me prepare breakfast? I’ll need an extra set of hands!”

Immediately, Sukuna felt dread pool in his gut. The honorific was not a sign of endearment. Not even close. It was actually a warning for the assault that was to come. A very fiery assault. With great care, Sukuna set Yuuji down. At the same time, Supernova detached from his leg and corralled Yuuji away from the older two, sending a hiss Sukuna’s way. “We will call you for breakfast! Don’t be late, brat!”

“Okay!”

Once they saw Yuuji go outside, an excited Boogie and Infinite immediately going to greet the boy with slobbery kisses and loud squawks, Sukuna and Ryomen locked eyes. The ancient curse raised a brow. “Would you like me to start running?”

“Very much so.”

-

“Stop running, Gojo-san!” 

“Make me, four-eyes!”

“QUIT CALLING ME THAT, YOU INSUFFERABLE-”

The banter of Nanami and Satoru grew more distant as the blonde chased the other down, the taller giggling like a maniac. Suguru smiled at their antics, glad to see the chaotic dynamic between the two remain unchanged. After graduating, Nanami had immediately left jujutsu society. The man had every right to quit as the higher-ups had only grown more corrupted, which should have been impossible. All the elders were now demanding that the enrollment age into the schools in Tokyo or Kyoto be lowered drastically. They wanted to start training as early as six years old, claiming that they needed to make sure the new generations of sorcerers were more than ‘cannon fodder’. At the meeting where the elders announced this, Nanami walked out the second the words left the elder’s mouth. He ignored the commands to return or the harsh reprimands for being so disrespectful. Nanami was a person who followed the rules, but he knew when said rules were unfair or unjust. Hearing the higher-ups, useless old men who do nothing but sit on their thrones while jujutsu sorcerers die every day, comparing the lives of the fallen to expendable tools made to be thrown away was too much for someone as disciplined as Nanami to handle. The day after the disastrous meeting, Nanami quit. He still kept in contact with Suguru, Satoru, and any who Nanami legitimately respected. It made Suguru happy to see a kind soul like Nanami get away and become a normal member of society.

Suguru would have joined him if it wasn’t for the creatures that forced him to stay. The six creatures that still haunted Suguru’s nightmares. Cursed souls had been given their own category, above special grade. With Yaga’s help, the elders agreed to release a small amount of information about cursed souls to all jujutsu sorcerers. They had wanted to keep the matter hidden, but Yaga managed to convince them otherwise. Two years had passed since that fateful night in Sendai, and there had been no reports of cursed souls or Sukuna. The latter had been kept a secret, the higher-ups could not be persuaded. It infuriated Suguru to see the elders keep such crucial information from their comrades. Sukuna’s mere existence was a sign that trouble was afoot. War even. 

Then the curse sent him and Satoru a letter, asking to meet.

While the ancient curse gave them a fortnight to arrive, Suguru and Satoru were ready to leave the next day. After reassuring the kids that everything was alright, they told them that they had a mission out of town and would not be back until tomorrow. Ijichi, bless his soul, had agreed to babysit their horde of gremlins for the entire day. The eighteen-year-old was fortunately treated quite well by the kids, mainly due to the fact that Ijichi was a decent cook and excellent baker. Suguru and Satoru had tried so many different babysitters, and each had resigned within a day. Ijichi was the only one that managed to get on the kids' good sides. However, being seen as a friend and not foe did not mean the kids didn’t terrorize poor Ijichi. They absolutely did. It was just that their antics were not flat out murder attempts like the other babysitters. Suguru remembered this one instance where he and Satoru came back from a mission only to find Ijichi covered in feathers, glitter, and rope. He also looked like he had been electrocuted with his frizzy hair. Needless to say, Ijichi got quite the raise after that. 

Suguru hoped the kids behaved themselves as he knew that he would not be equipped to handle four children after this meeting. 

He couldn’t help but think of the baby in the bundle, and the boy at the peach tree. Suguru had never forgotten the infant, who would now be around two if he survived. 

“You seem to be thinking really hard, man. I think I see steam blowing out of your ears.” Shoko pushed him good naturedly, a lollipop sticking out of her mouth. Her hair had grown longer, and she was trying to stop smoking. She looked healthier overall, but the bags underneath her eyes still refused to fade. “Want to share with the class?”

A snort escaped Suguru’s lips. “We graduated highschool, remember? There’s no class to share my thoughts with.”

“Quit being a smartass.” 

“So you admit I’m smart?”

Shoko smacked him beside the head as he cackled. It had been a grueling process, and he still had his bad days or relapses, but Suguru had finally gotten rid of the perfect sorcerer his elders had tried to sculpt him into. He was slowly coming into his own, acting on his own thoughts and his thoughts alone. Some say that Satoru was at fault for ‘corrupting’ a star pupil like Suguru, but that wasn’t the case. Being mischievous and rebellious had always been in Suguru’s nature, he simply repressed those urges for all his life. Satoru had been the one to show Suguru how much fun it was to cause mayhem. He helped Suguru in every way he could. For instance, when Satoru told him he booked an appointment with the tattoo and piercing parlor Suguru had been talking about for years, Suguru wanted to propose on the spot.  He had been following the parlor online ever since he got a laptop and phone, talking about it or showing his friends photos of the work they did. And Satoru remembered . Ever since, Suguru had gotten several new piercings and tattoos. Booking appointments was nearly impossible, but Satoru managed it everytime. Satoru always gave Suguru everything and more. The others had it wrong, Satoru made Suguru better . 

He sighed. “I was thinking of people. Three people specifically.”

The girl next to him raised a brow. “Is one of them Satoru?”

“Perhaps.”

“You two are disgusting.” Shoko said, already at her limit with the lovebirds that were Suguru and Satoru. It was far too early to deal with their terrible flirting and PDA. She wanted to be in bed, not in the middle of a random forest. “I’ll probably regret asking this, but who are the other two?”

“Sukuna and a baby.” He replied smoothly, putting his hands in his pockets. “He mentioned in his letter that Satoru and I shared a mutual interest in protecting what was ours. We have the girls and Megumi to protect, but I have never heard of Sukuna having a child.” 

“Huh…Maybe he is protecting something else? Like a weapon or pet or some shit?” 

He shook his head. “No, I don’t think that’s it. For someone as prideful as the King of Death, surely it would take quite a lot for him to reach out to us. He must care about this person enough to put down his pride and ask for an alliance with sorcerers.”

“Are you talking about Sukuna?! I want in!” Emerging from a bush, Satoru ran towards the pair. He placed his head on Suguru’s shoulder, vibrating like an excited puppy. Suguru patted the other’s head, sensing how erratic Satoru’s cursed energy had become.  Whenever the white-haired man became too emotional or riled up, he would grow manic if Suguru wasn’t there to center him. With the physical contact, Satoru’s aura calmed almost instantly. 

Several branches snapped, alerting the sorcerers of a new presence. Fortunately, it was a disgruntled Nanami, with several leaves and twigs in his hair. “Please tell me that we are near the meeting site.”

It was a question all of them were wondering. The directions Sukuna gave were incredibly vague, only mentioning a ‘shrine of malevolence’ deep in a forest in Tokyo. However, Tokyo had countless forests and shrines. However, luck had been on their side for once. Satoru, somehow, knew of the shrine and warped the group to its entrance. Apparently, Satoru had a tendency to run away as a child, so he would find himself in the oddest of places. The shrine was one of them. He told them that he could not teleport them any further due to a barrier of unknown diameter. The solution that Satoru had come up with was walking through the forest until they sensed the barrier or Sukuna sensed their presence. 

A chuckle escaped Satoru’s lips. He tapped on the thick, black blindfold covering his eyes, a replacement for his usually tinted sunglasses. “My six-eyes would have been able to find the barrier easily, but Sukuna is apparently sneakier than he looks. There is very little that can hide from my eyes, so whatever Sukuna is using to conceal himself is quite powerful.”

Both Nanami and Suguru repressed a shiver. The cursed soul who had the Gojo clan’s sacred technique had made an impact on everyone. No one could forget the shrieks of laughter and feelings of absolute powerlessness. It went unsaid, but the group knew that the draconic cursed soul was the one responsible for such advanced cloaking. They would have to deal with the demon again . 

“So you don’t know how much longer this would take?” Shoko drawled. 

“Not at all!” Satoru chirped.

“Remind me why I’m here again? Because I am very tempted to go back to my bed instead of trudge through twigs and mud.” 

Suguru bit the piercing on his lip, a new habit of his. Careful to keep his voice low, the man spoke of the thought that had been nagging him this entire trip. “The baby that had been taken by Sukuna and the cursed souls would be two-years-old now. I find it hard to believe that that child would be dead considering how protective the cursed souls were. Children are the most precious treasure one could have, but they’re also extremely vulnerable. Sukuna said he wanted to protect what was his, like me and Satoru. The baby in Sendai must be his or perhaps related to him. Either way, I highly doubt that Sukuna has a regular doctor for the child.” 

There was a lull of silence amongst the group. Once Suguru, Nanami, and Satoru fully recovered, Suguru had told them of the scrolls he found in the catacombs. He showed them the story of the man who made a vow with Sukuna and the boy who was at the center of everything. The boy by the peach tree. When Suguru spoke of the boy, Nanami and Satoru shared a knowing gaze with him. They all were told something about Itadori Yuuji, but none could speak about it aloud. If they tried to, they would immediately forget what they were talking about. The information was not meant to be shared. 

Beside him, Shoko shook her head with a grin. “Guess I’ll be a pediatrician to five children instead of four.” 

“Don’t you mean four goblins?” Satoru smirked. 

“Eh, they are little shits to you , not me. That makes them angels in my book.”

For the next several minutes, the group would speak of lighter topics, trying to ignore the heaviness in the air. The further they traveled, the tenser they got. Cursed energy rippled through the air like whips. If they were less experienced sorcerers, they would have been unable to take another step. In addition to the volatile atmosphere, the temperature had dropped significantly. They were supposed to be in the middle of spring, yet snow and ice began to cover the ground. Harsh, freezing winds hit them mercilessly. The air had gotten cold enough that they could see their own breaths, as one would expect when it’s the dead of winter. 

Suddenly, a deep thrum filled the air. It could be felt through the icy ground they now stood on. Before any of them could move another muscle, a dark fog began to form before them. It swirled and grew bigger, surrounding the pseudo-tundra in darkness. Nanami reached for the wrapped blade behind his back while Satoru readied himself to use his Hollow Purple technique. As the fog grew denser, Suguru could hear the shrieks and trills of the creature he despised. A long body of white fur and feathers emerged from the fog. Its talons clicked against the ice as it made its way to the group. 

Despite the additional years of growth and improvement, Suguru still felt like a kid who was way in over his head. The same terror of the past filled him. It seemed that Satoru and Nanami were in the same situation. Nanami’s hand was frozen on the handle of his blunt sword. Beside him, Satoru became as still as a statue, not even breathing. 

“You guys weren’t kidding, this thing is nightmare fuel.” With a shaky breath, Shoko stepped towards the giant entity. Her body appeared relaxed and expression calm as she approached. Satoru looked like he was about to have a heart attack, but then the cursed soul did something that shocked them. 

It began to coo at Shoko, using its hooked beak to ruffle her hair. It was nothing like the violent monster that had traumatized the three men and permanently damaged Satoru’s brain after forcing him to have vivid hallucinations for several days. This creature was not violent whatsoever. When Shoko placed a hand on the being’s long neck, the creature melted into it with a pleased chirp. The entity wrapped itself around the young woman and squawked at the three frozen men. 

Shoko pet the soft fur of the beast. “I think it wants you to come over here. I bet this creepy fella is our ride to Sukuna’s place.” 

Without a word, Nanami, Suguru, and Satoru obeyed and let the beast constrict around them. However, the grip was not meant to strangle, but secure. The most powerful of the cursed souls trilled soothingly as the fog from before wrapped around them. It was what Suguru imagined being inside a tornado felt like. He kept his eyes shut and held onto Satoru’s hand with a death grip, which Satoru reciprocated. The gentle hums and clicks of the beast helped distract the group from the disorienting sensation that came with warping. Satoru’s teleportation abilities were much less nauseating than this, but it thankfully ended quickly. 

As the fog cleared, the shrine that they had been trying to find appeared. It was quite large for a shrine, looking more like a temple. Though, it made sense that someone as grande in stature as Sukuna would have a shrine that reflected that aspect. The deep crimsons of the shrine were fitting, but the flower pots certainly weren’t. As they ascended the stone stairs, Suguru noticed the messy, hand made pots on each step. There were some that looked professional and others that looked like a child had made it. No one spoke, but all held curious expressions towards the flower pots. 

Once they reached the top of the stairs, they were greeted with two heavy doors. Their monstrous ‘host’ simply slammed through the heavy doors and began to scurry down the hallway. It eventually grew impatient with their gawking stares and scooped all four adults in its beak and ran towards their destination. Its claws clacked against the stone floor as it galloped, emitting excited trills. When they reached an open space, the being deposited them onto the ground. 

What they saw was…unexpected.

A man half the size of the ten-foot curse of legend had said curse by the ear, tugging on it like a scolding parent. Neither had noticed their presence, both too busy squabbling to glance at their arrival. The man with pink-hair wrapped his hand around one of the holes created by Sukuna’s ear gauges and pulled . In response, the fearsome King of Death shrieked .

“OW! NOT THE PIERCINGS-AGH- FUCKING HELL- SHIT- QUIT IT!”

“THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR BEING AN INCONSIDERATE PRICK!”

“I AM NOT A- OW FUCK! STOP TUGGING THERE, YOU ASSHOLE!”

“NO!”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN- OWOWOWOW! YOU’RE GOING TO TEAR MY FUCKING EAR OFF!”

“GOOD! YOU ARE A SHIT LISTENER ANYWAY!”

“FUCK YOU-”

The pair soon divulged into petty slapping, Sukuna using his extra arms to his advantage as he slapped the other’s hand away from his bleeding ear. In response, the much smaller man bit one of Sukuna’s top hands. It was textbook sibling horseplay, reminding Satoru and Suguru of their own children’s attempts at killing each other. The white-haired man had to bite his lip to stifle a laugh when the pink-haired man wrapped his body around Sukuna like a koala in an attempt at a chokehold. Sukuna turned his body around to get the man off, causing him to make eye contact with his guests. He froze.

Like scruffing a kitten, Sukuna detached the other by the collar of his shirt. He donned an impassive expression and raised his brow. “Stare any longer and I will gouge your eyes out one by one.”

The…’meeting’…had begun.

-

With the sorcerers arriving far earlier than anticipated, Sukuna could now understand Ryomen’s ire with him. His ear had healed instantly, but it didn’t mean Ryomen’s incessant tugging didn’t hurt like a bitch . It was also quite humiliating to have the sorcerers see him and Ryomen roughhousing. They did it frequently and gruesomely. With Sukuna’s mastery of reversed cursed technique, he could heal himself and any damage Ryomen sustained. It allowed the two to not hold back in their attacks, which also served as a way to relieve stress. Ryomen was a powerhouse in his own right, so Sukuna knew he could handle his own attacks without breaking. Their more petty fights that included tugging on ears or pinching arms were more rare nowadays. With Yuuji, a very impressionable toddler, around, they knew that it would be best that the boy did not pick up his father and uncle’s habits. Speaking of the boy, the commotion from the kitchen alerted him and his guardians. He stood at the entrance to the backyard, holding a daffodil with white, fluffy seeds in his hands. There was nothing but surprise on his chubby face. 

Everything came to a standstill.

Sukuna noticed how the new limitless user froze. It was odd to see this younger version of the sorcerer he had battled and detested. When Sukuna thought of the strongest sorcerer of the modern era, he still pictured the original Gojo Satoru, a man of indescribable power and might. It will likely take a while for Sukuna to see this Gojo Satoru as the strongest. The young man clearly was not anywhere near the level his older self was. If Sukuna’s memory served him correctly, then this Gojo Satoru was twenty years old. Two decades on this Earth . With all that Sukuna had seen and experienced, two decades was nothing to the curse. This Gojo was practically an infant compared to Sukuna. However, once the frozen man ripped off his blindfold, it was then that Sukuna remembered that this boy was still a wielder of Limitless and the Six-Eyes, someone not to be underestimated or written off. The eyes of Gojo Satoru were impossible to forget, even after all this time. Sukuna had always imagined that the heavens had placed the skies in Gojo Satoru’s eyes as a blessing of sorts. A direct contrast to Sukuna’s hellish red. The eyes of the Gojo Satoru today were not that of pure, blue skies. No. They were more like a battle between two oceans, one calm and one turbulent. The bright turquoise and cyans of the peaceful waters clashed with the deep navy and royal azures of the raging seas. The waves came together, forming a white sea foam that split the eye in two. In other words, there was more chaos to be found in Gojo Satoru’s eyes than the clarity they were supposed to be known for. It felt… troublesome … And Sukuna knew he likely had a part to play in the darkening of the ‘Honored One’. 

As the staring match continued between the adults and curious toddler, Yuuji’s lip began to wobble and his honey-colored eyes teared up. With his little legs, Yuuji toddled over to the group as fast as he could. His sudden movement caused the seeds of the daffodil he was holding to fly away. The flower had always been Yuuji’s favorite. In fact, the boy went to the garden every day to find a daffodil to blow on. There were times where Yuuji would give the white flower to one of his guardians or his father or even Sukuna himself. He insisted that everyone needed a wish and would not take no as an answer. It was an act of pure kindness and innocence. However, the sight of the seeds floating away made Sukuna feel sick. His innocence, the second the sorcerers arrived, had disappeared in moments. 

Unbeknownst to the conflict in everyone’s minds, Yuuji continued his journey. However, his onesie combined with the marbled floor caused the little boy to slip. He would have fallen  face first if it wasn’t for Infinite lunging forward to use his body to soften the fall. Yuuji patted Infinite, cheeks puffing out. “Where you go?! Nin-Nin! Where you go?!”

In response, Infinite cooed and used his beak to groom the toddler’s messy hair. Yuuji was attached to all of his guardians, so he got incredibly frightened if one of them disappeared without notice. Despite his sharp beak and talons, Infinite looked like an elongated puppy with how he nuzzled Yuuji. Infinite trilled and made clicks into the boy’s body, knowing how ticklish the toddler was to the vibrations. When the squealing child tried to wiggle away, Infinite curled around him. Yuuji was now completely unaware of the stares from the adults in the room as he solely focused on escaping from Infinite’s tickles. Unaware of the heavy expression on the blonde sorcerer's paling face. Unaware of the disturbed way the user of cursed spirit manipulation looked at him. Unaware of the tears beginning to form in a trembling Gojo’s eyes. 

Sukuna and Ryomen shared a look. The curse knew that the man would demand answers for the strange reactions of the sorcerers who had supposedly never met Yuuji before. Unbeknownst to Ryomen, they had. Is there a part of their souls that remembers Yuuji? But Getou Suguru was dead and being used by Kenjaku, he never got the chance to meet Yuuji. Did that crazy bastard give the sorcerers information? If so, that would mean Kenjaku is aware of what I’ve done. How would Kenjaku know in the first place? It should be impossible…Fuck, I’m too tired for this shit. Sukuna rubbed the bridge of his nose harshly as a wave of fatigue washed over him. Trouble was brewing far sooner than he predicted. As the atmosphere grew more awkward and tense, Ryomen suddenly rushed forward and scooped Yuuji out of Infinite’s coils. Seemingly out of thin air, Supernova jumped from the counter to Ryomen’s shoulder. The purple cat locked its harsh gaze on the strangers in the room. 

The pink-haired man brushed his unoccupied shoulder against Sukuna’s. He whispered harshly, though it sounded more like a snarl. “I’m going to get Yuuji dressed and washed up. Deal with the sorcerers or I will do it for you .” With that, Ryomen left the kitchen, the air around him heating up considerably as he went. Infinite scurried after them to soothe a grumpy Yuuji who was hungry and curious of their guests. His chubby hand reached out over Ryomen’s shoulder towards the sorcerers, making grabby motions. Ryomen gently grasped Yuuji’s hand, leveling another piercing glare at the curse.

Sukuna knew that Ryomen’s tolerance for sorcerers was far worse than his own. While Sukuna saw sorcerers as annoyances, save for the few interesting ones that could put up a fight, Ryomen saw them as dirt beneath his feet. The hatred towards sorcerers and all of humanity ran deep within Ryomen. He had fair reason for his distrust and aborrance, but Sukuna needed his corroperance more than anyone. Kenjaku was scheming something far worse than their plan in the previous world, Sukuna could feel it with every fiber of his being. He would not fail again. He would do everything to ensure that he would never have to see that broken look in Yuuji’s eyes ever again. Even if it meant allying himself with sorcerers. 

“Did you do something to them?” The calm voice of the woman broke Sukuna out of his stupor. He had forgotten she was there. Ieri Shoko. The skilled healer of the jujutsu sorcerers. He had only seen her through Yuuji’s old memories of her. Always neutral. Even now, the young sorceress looked at him with a bored expression.

“I did not. Though, their reaction to the boy is quite interesting.” Sukuna glanced back at the still frozen men. He frowned. “Sit them down on the couches. I need them to be fully awake for this meeting.”

Shoko nodded. Without a word, she dragged the others to the large couch to the left of the kitchen. The living room was grand and spacious. Many of the walls of the temple had been taken down to allow more space for Sukuna and the guardians to move freely. It was one of the few renovations of the shrine that Sukuna appreciated. The girl pushed the group onto the plush cushions, which seemed to snap the others out of their stupor. 

With a gasp, Gojo shot from his seat on the couch. He had yet to replace the blindfold covering his eyes, looking intensely into Sukuna’s. “The kid. Who is that.”

Instead of answering, Sukuna plopped himself on the floor with a considerable distance between him and the sorcerers. With his back against the giant couch, Sukuna had all the sorcerers within his line of sight. The spot also gave Sukuna a way to keep an eye on the ever restless guardians. In the corners of his eyes, Sukuna could see the bright green of Chimera’s eyelights locking onto the sorcerers from the shadow’s spot behind the couch. He could hear the soft rustling of Overtime’s wrappings and the tiny metallic clicks of Resonance’s sharp limbs. Boogie was the only one unaccounted for, but Sukuna knew that the slobbery beast would make his appearance soon enough. Sensing the wariness from the guardians behind him, Sukuna was quick to start damage control. “No need to look so tense, boys. You three look constipated.”

Gojo sputtered, completely caught off guard by Sukuna’s response. His companions shared a similar sentiment, staring at Sukuna like he had grown a second head. Never one to be out-sassed, Gojo rewrapped his blindfold and pointed a slender finger at Sukuna with a pout. “I’m a twenty-year-old man! You’re the one who begged us to come here, so you could at least be bothered to be a good host!”

“Boy, you are not a man by any means.” Sukuna crossed his top pair of arms over his head, his bottom pair settled on his lap. Ignoring the Infinity user’s offended familiar squawk, Sukuna continued. “To answer your initial question, the boy’s name is Yuuji. He is the reason as to why I have requested this meeting.”

“He’s who you want to protect.” Getou’s soft voice replied. It was strange for Sukuna to hear that voice and not think of Kenjaku. However, there was a sincereness in the black-haired man’s tone that could not be replicated by that wretched brain. No matter how long Kenjaku inhabited a body, their acting could never come off as authentic or genuine as their host’s true personality. The utter life in Getou’s brown eyes further reassured Sukuna that he was not talking to a corpse. Getou raised a hand towards the curse. “When you mentioned that you were only interested in protecting what's yours like Satoru and I, you were referring to Yuuji.” It was not asked as a question, but fact. 

“Quite the analytical one, aren't you?”

“I have done my fair share of research over the years.”

Sukuna glanced at Getou, not liking the implications of there being information about him to research in the first place. “I am sure that whatever information you have acquired is inaccurate, but you are correct in your assumption about Yuuji. He is…important to me. And there are beings in this world who wish him great harm.”

“What kind of beings?” The blonde sorcerer asked. He had remained quiet ever since the group arrived at the temple. His yellow tinted glasses were identical to the pair that Overtime wore, but his sharp, human eyes could be seen through the glass. 

“That’s a discussion to be held somewhere else. Not a living room.” Sukuna deadpanned. 

A tense silence overcame the sorcerers and curse. While one party did not want to speak further, the other was racking their brains with what little information Sukuna gave and the countless questions brewing in their minds. 

This was going to be a very long day.

-

If someone were to tell Satoru that he would be having a domestic breakfast with Sukuna, the King of Death, at any point in time, then he would have laughed in their face. Yet here he was, having breakfast with Sukuna.

 Albeit it was a very awkward breakfast as they all had to pretend everything was fine for the sake of the hungry toddler. They all had to swallow their tongues, their prides, their questions for the boy. It made the ever-present chaos in Satoru’s head subtly worsen. He showed no sign of pain however, not wanting to worry his already tense friends. 

It felt like one wrong step and Ryomen would burn them all alive. Though, his ire was hidden expertly as he fussed over Yuuji, answering the toddler’s babbling with his own. Sukuna, on the other hand, did not seem to be perturbed by their presence. He was the epitome of nonchalance. 

To be blunt, Sukuna was not what the legends described him as. Not even close. The stories all sorcerers were told always depicted the curse as a fearsome monster who killed anything and anyone. He was so terrifying that even the dead worshiped him, fearing that he was capable of crossing to their plane and destroying the peace the afterlife was supposed to give them. During the Heian Era, it had become customary to place offerings of great value on top of all gravestones. It was believed that doing so would prevent Sukuna from taking the soul of the dead from the afterlife. Some tales even spoke of Sukuna having an army made out of the souls of the countless people he slaughtered, forcing them to do his bidding for eternity. Even fellow curses were not spared of Sukuna’s wrath. There was a well known legend of a curse that had killed one hundred people in a single night in an attempt to impress Sukuna, only for him to slice the curse into one hundred pieces to show the curse how easy it was to do something that amount of times. He was a walking calamity. The only reason given for Sukuna’s disappearance was that the curse grew bored of killing and returned to the hell he came from. Considering the curse was sitting across from Satoru eating an ungodly amount of bacon, he knew that the last part was bullshit. Though, he did not doubt that the legends held some truth to them. Sukuna, relaxed as he was, emitted a dangerous aura. It was not evil per say, just threatening. A warning that any attempts at slighting him would be met with a painfully brutal end. However, the curse before Satoru was not the demonic abomination feared by existence itself all stories described him as. 

Especially with how the curse interacted with Yuuji. 

When the strange man, whose name was apparently Ryomen after a very awkward introduction, returned with Yuuji in tow, Satoru felt his heart stop and speed up at the same time. To start, Yuuji was absolutely adorable. He had on an orange shirt with a cartoon tiger on front and a pair of dark blue shorts. When Satoru adopted Megumi and Tsumiki, they had long grown out of toddler age. He had never gotten the chance to dress them in adorable baby outfits, and he knew that his youngest would not allow him to try. No. Megumi would try to kill him if Satoru did that. Yuuji would be spoiled to death by Satoru, he could see it now! After meeting the sweet boy, he was determined to set up a visitation schedule with Sukuna and Ryomen. If Sukuna was serious about an alliance, then the curse would surely allow Satoru to spend time with Yuuji. I wonder what would happen if Megumi met Yuuji? Ah! It would be so cute!

As Ryomen began to prepare breakfast for everyone, Sukuna had been the one to place Yuuji in his highchair. The toddler was giggling the entire time Sukuna held him. Even with the boy pulling on Sukuna’s hair or poking his nose, Sukuna looked as unbothered as ever. A monster as feared as Sukuna should have killed the child, but Sukuna looked at Yuuji like the boy was the most precious thing in the world. Though, based on Sukuna’s gruff nature, Satoru doubted the curse would admit such feelings. 

Satoru could not figure out why he got such a strong feeling of rightness when he was interacting with the toddler. Nanami and Suguru seemed to feel something as well with how they stared at the boy with curiosity and unexpected fondness. In seconds, Yuuji became something treasured by Satoru. It felt so right to dote on the boy and make him smile. Something inside him told Satoru that the boy more than deserved to be loved and spoiled.

“Go-Go!” 

“Yes, Yuuji-kun?” Satoru cooed to the toddler, using all of his self-restraint to not pinch at his chubby, striped cheeks. When Yuuji went to properly meet Satoru and the others, he beamed at all of them and tried his best to say their names. Though, the toddler kept pronouncing the ‘Jo’ in Gojo’s name as a ‘Go’. He did not mind the error whatsoever. It made his heart want to burst at the seams from how precious the little boy was. 

Yuuji grabbed an onigiri from the plate on the tray of his high chair and tried to hand it to Satoru. “Nummy!”

“Oh! You want to give me an onigiri, Yuuji-kun?”

“Mhm!” 

Dear Lord, I’m going to combust from sheer cuteness! Satoru made sure his squealing was only in his mind. Hopefully. He carefully plucked the rice ball from the toddler’s tiny hand, which looked even smaller compared to his much larger ones. “Thank you, Yuuji-kun! You’re such a nice boy!”

This time, he could not stop himself from pinching one of his chubby cheeks. He was seated right next to the toddler, how could he not pinch his cheeks?! Yuuji squealed from the gentle pinch, his smile even brighter. On the other side of Yuuji, his father glared at Satoru murderously. He ignored Ryomen and bit into the snack. Instead of the savory flavor Satoru expected, he was greeted with an explosion of earthy sweetness on his tongue. It was sweet potato! Satoru had heard that there were sweet fillings for onigiri, but he had never tried it until now! He could also detect some sugar mixed in to add to the sweetness. 

“It good?” Yuuji patted his tray excitedly while simultaneously bouncing in his seat. A spotted wrapping from behind the toddler went to calm him. It was the mummy cursed soul, the one that shared several features with Nanami. With his wrappings, the mummy-like entity soothed the fabric over Yuuji’s hair. Eventually, Yuuji stopped bouncing so much, but he was still eagerly waiting for Satoru's response, his chubby hand holding onto one of the wrappings. 

“So good, Yuuji-kun! You’re a very good cook!” Satoru hummed happily at the pleasant aftertaste. He went to take another bite, feeling smug since the others did not get to try the wonderful treat. He was definitely Yuuji’s favorite!

Sukuna rumbled a deep laugh. “Yeah. the brat’s already shown a talent for that kinda stuff.” He leant back on his chair, much larger than the others considering the curse’s size. His plate that had been stacked primarily of meat was licked clean. He looked more like a satisfied cat than a genocidal beast. In fact, the actual cat in the room looked far more vicious than Sukuna. The purple-furred feline was perched on Ryomen’s chair while looking at everyone with dark, critical eyes. The only times that the cat would relax was when Yuuji reached to pet him. Any other time, the cat looked ready to maul someone. It was hilarious considering that Sukuna, the one who was supposed to be the violent one, looked ready to fall asleep. 

The rest of breakfast was spent in silence. Satoru, Suguru, Nanami, and Shoko had not gotten to eat until now, so they were not going to pass up an offer of free food. Ryomen, despite his wariness of them, was a good cook. The eggs were fluffy, the bacon was crispy, and the onigiri was delicious. His son was already following in his footsteps. Near the end of the meal, Yuuji began to doze off, sleepy from the warm meal. An equally sleepy Sukuna stood up and picked up Yuuji from his high chair. Without a trace of fear towards the four armed curse, Yuuji yawned and nuzzled his head into Sukuna's shoulder, placing a thumb in his mouth. 

“I’m going to set Yuuji down for his nap. Take them to the basement, yeah? We’ll have the most privacy there.” Sukuna spoke to Ryomen softly, not wanting to jostle Yuuji awake. He then used his bottom set of hands to gesture towards the several cursed souls scattered throughout the place. “Come on, you bastards. I need all of you to watch him for the next couple hours. And I mean all of you.” 

With great reluctance, all the cursed souls followed after Sukuna. It was jarring to see the beasts that had nearly killed him, Suguru, and Nanami act as house pets. Granted, very protective house pets, but pets nonetheless. They were clearly there to protect Yuuji, yet that made Satoru fear for the boy’s safety even more. If Sukuna, the most powerful curse of all time, Ryomen, a man that seemed capable of and willing to burn the world for his son, and six beasts stronger than any special grade were not enough to ward off this threat Sukuna mentioned, then Satoru doubted that his peers could provide any help. Hell, Satoru might not be able to do anything. He had faith in his comrades, but he knew that the threat on the horizon was far above them in power. The fact that Sukuna needed help proved that this threat was on an entirely different level. And Satoru was selfish. He did not want to risk his loved one’s lives fighting a being they could not win against. 

The thoughts inside his head began to grow into a flurry of chaos. It felt like his skull was about to explode as his senses overwhelmed him. Satoru had gotten accustomed to the daily sensory overloads, but it did not stop his head from hurting any less. The fierce migraine that had been brewing all morning started to pound at his temples. Too much. Too much information. His six-eyes and mind were giving him too much information!

A much greater evil will emerge, and you will lose without Sukuna.

Long hair. Stitches. Brain. Prison.

We will not show mercy if Yuuji is harmed by any of you. 

Pinkpinkpinkpink.

It’s likely that Kenjaku is going to be an even bigger threat than before. 

Faker. Faker. Faker. Faker. Faker. Thief. Thief. THIEF.

Take care of Megumi and keep an eye on Suguru and Nanami.

Spiky hair. Tattoos. Stolen. A bloodied man without an arm. A smiling man on the beach.

You will experience all my pain, all my anger, all my loss within moments.

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. ITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTS-

A warm hand encased his cold one.

The familiar warmth of Suguru’s hand helped center Satoru, his boyfriend soothed his thumb over Satoru’s palm. Through trial and error, the two had figured out the best ways to help Satoru through his constant information overloads. It had been a while since Satoru had such a severe episode, even if it was short. This migraine would stick with him for a couple days at best. The thick blindfold around his eyes helped in giving his overworked brain a break. 

When he came to his senses, he noticed that everyone was staring at him with concern. Except for one. Ryomen was busy unlocking the heavy door that led to the cellar, cursing beneath his breath. 

There was a click and the door seemingly opened on its own. Ryomen glanced at Satoru with an indecipherable look in his tired eyes. It did not contain the wariness or aggression from before, it was something softer than that. Conflicted almost. With a sigh that could rival Nanami’s on a bad day, Ryomen gestured for the others to follow. “This is the staircase that leads to the basement. There’s no artificial light in there, so stick close to me.” With a flick of his tattooed hand, a flame appeared at the center of his palm. 

Without further hesitation, the group of sorcerers followed the pink-haired man into the basement. Unknowing of the horrors they were about to uncover. 

.

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-

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“I need to ensure that you sorcerers will not go off and tattle to your pathetic leaders.” A curse with four arms and tattoos spoke in a dark room. He sat at the head of a stone table, which was low to the ground and covered in runes of a language long forgotten. Instead of chairs, there were lush pillows colored a deep crimson. The curse with his grand form sat upon the cold floor, too large for the pillows and uncaring of the hard ground. One hand from his upper set of arms was used to prop the monster’s head on his knee. It was too casual a position considering the topics that were being discussed, but the curse could not be bothered to care. 

“Only idiots are actually loyal to those geezers.” A woman sat on the other side of the table with her other companions muttered with a roll of her eyes. Her posture was relaxed but her eyes were as calculating as the other sorcerer’s in the room.

“So you four truly hold no loyalty to them?” A man that resembled the curse asked with a raised brow. He sat to the right of the curse, looking far more tense than anyone else. 

“They do not deserve any amount of reverence.” A blonde-haired man spoke with a monotonous voice, yet the way he clenched his fists was an indicator of what the man truly felt. He sat in a perfect seiza, the display of respect to the curse and pink-haired man shocking the other occupants. His tendency to be formal and courteous was apparent even now.

“We have been wronged by the elders far too many times for us to hold any sense of duty to them. There is no need to worry. Whatever is said in this room will stay in this room.” A man with long black hair and a voice of honey talked directly at the curse. His words were nothing but reassuring. Leaning onto the black-haired man was a thinner man that seemed to be in a great deal of pain. Instead of a response, the man with snow-white hair gave the curse a thumbs-up to show his support. 

The room fell quiet for several seconds as Sukuna, the curse that had summoned them all, mulled over the information. Eventually, he broke the silence with a firm nod. “Alright. The disdain in your voices is proof enough that you will not reveal anything to those piles of bones.”

Sukuna glanced at the man on his right, Ryomen. Their shared souls allowed them to read each other's minds in a sense. It could be more accurately described as feeling the other's intentions or emotions. Ryomen raised his hand and sent small flames to the candles hung on the wall. He also sent his fire to the various candles that hung from the ceiling of the basement. A gentle orange glow covered the room. With the added light, the sorcerers could see the many weapons and ornaments decorating the walls. There was a bookshelf dedicated to nothing but ancient texts and another filled with nothing but bovine skulls. Another shelf displayed countless kunai, shuriken, and other small projectiles. However, the most interesting objects Sukuna and Ryomen had were the large trident and staff hung on the wall behind them. The trident was made of a dark steel that was covered in runes and symbols. It was taller than the average man, so it was evident that its wielder was the ten-foot curse. The metallic staff, while smaller, seemed to have more attachments. What seemed like an odd kusarigama chain hung from the top of the weapon. However, instead of a sickle at the end of the chain, it was a tobiguchi. The ancient tool meant for fighting fires was being used as a deadly weapon. The tobiguchi was more melted into the chain than cleanly welded, almost like the one who made it did it in seconds. It was an amalgamation of tools into one weapon.

Ryomen had crafted it with his own hands, but he was not going to reveal such information to the sorcerers before them. Simply thinking of the weapon’s creation made shivers run down his spine. He had created it the same night that he lost his son for good and made a deal with Sukuna. In a fit of mindless grief, Ryomen had gone back to the village that ostracized him and took several objects from the burning homes. A chain from the farmer who had used to whip Ryomen with the damn thing when he caught him stealing his crops as a starving boy. A tobiguchi from the corpse of a man who had tried to use it to fight the fire Ryomen had created. A wooden staff that had been used by the eldest healer who had refused to treat his ill son. A coin from each villager who would wave the yen in front of a begging Ryomen, only to tear it away with a mocking smirk. He would use the metal from the yen coins to reinforce the staff. He then welded everything together, using himself as a furnace. 

There were many tales of the origins of the weapons and artifacts that surrounded Sukuna and Ryomen, but none were to be told . Not yet. 

With a more serious posture, Sukuna cleared his throat and adopted a stony expression. “I’ve summoned you miserable lot here to discuss a threat. Normally, no opponent would be powerful enough to challenge me in such a way. But this is not about me. I would be a fool if I gambled the lives of my kin on the off chance that I would defeat this threat in the blink of an eye.” Sukuna did not catch the look of surprise on Ryomen’s face when the curse inadvertently called Ryomen and Yuuji his family. The four-armed curse continued. “This threat is a curse user named Kenjaku. What they lack in physical power, they make up for in brutal intellect.”

“You mentioned in your letter that this curse user, Kenjaku, was growing stronger and would reappear in eight years.” Suguru, the man with the calm voice and long hair, spoke. His warm brown eyes held a cold and calculating gaze towards the curse’s crimson ones, unblinking. “Why would you give them the chance to grow stronger and not eliminate them now? Eight years is also quite a specific amount of time. How are you so sure Kenjaku will do something then?”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with you, sorcerer.” Ryomen stared at Sukuna, trying to piece together why Sukuna would do something so idiotic. 

Instead of allowing the curse to speak, another voice spoke up. It was Nanami, the sorcerer with blonde hair and odd glasses. “It is confusing that you are allowing a threat to your family to grow stronger. You know who they are, but you haven’t killed them.”

Satoru, the one who had been leaning against Suguru, added onto the barrage of questions. “How come Kenjaku is waiting for eight years to start their evil plan or whatever? And, like Suguru said, how do you know it’ll happen in eight years? Did Kenjaku tell you or is it just a really good guess?”

Questions were thrown left and right, none of them allowing Sukuna the chance to answer. The only one who had stayed quiet was the sorceress of the group, Shoko. She glanced at Sukuna with a raised brow and shrugged before returning to looking at the chaotic barrage of voices. 

With a patience expected of a saint, Sukuna allowed the group to continue their questionnaire until they realized he was not answering any of them. The first to realize was Nanami, who was quick to make the others stop talking. When the silence returned, Sukuna relished in it for a few moments. Making a habit of napping as often as Yuuji was now coming to bite the curse. He truly had no desire to have this meeting, he wanted to sleep for a century, but there was no turning back. They were here, and Sukuna had to deal with that… There must be something here that will make this easier… Sukuna stood from his seat and went to one of the bookcases lining the basement. He scanned through the many books and weapons until he found a glass bottle filled with smoke. Item in one of his bottom set of hands, Sukuna returned and plopped back down on the floor. The others were staring at him expectantly, but Sukuna could not be bothered to explain.

Sukuna used another hand to remove the cork sealing the bottle, causing a loud pop that startled Ryomen in particular. Immediately, the curse unsheathed his claws on his upper left hand to slice a deep cut into the palm of his upper right hand. Blood pooled from the wound as Sukuna clenched his hand tightly. He aimed his wound towards the open bottle. Once the droplets of crimson entered the bottle, a crackle of thunder filled the air. The fog turned red and began to billow out of the bottle and onto the table. There was a coppery smell to the fog and it did not dissipate, growing denser and denser until Sukuna slammed his bloodied hand onto the table. Similar to a magnet attracting iron filings, Sukuna’s blood attracted the thick smog to circle around his hand. 

With his head bowed and eyes closed, Sukuna began an incantation. “ Emerge from the darkness, blacker than death. Impurify that which is pure. ” 

The crimson fog turned black as it continued to encircle Sukuna’s hand, growing wider and wider with each rotation. Gusts of wind whipped at the faces of the sorcerers, who had all taken defensive positions. Ryomen had a knowing look in his eyes, but his scowl showed the man’s displeasure with what Sukuna was planning. Finally, when the contained hurricane of blood and darkness stopped turning, Sukuna lifted his hand from the table, admiring his work. 

What was once a cluttered basement was now an empty void covered in black fog. At the center of it all was Sukuna, who was sitting on the stone table, the only object that hadn’t disappeared. With a flick of his hand, several tendrils of smoke surrounded the four sorcerers. Before the sorcerers had any time to react, the dark fog disappeared, revealing a familiar set of eyes and tattoos.

Each sorcerer now had the same marking Ryomen and Sukuna had on their foreheads and two black bands around their wrists. However, the most startling change was the extra set of eyes on the young adults’ cheeks. Ryomen reluctantly opened his second pair of eyes he preferred to keep hidden. With no explanation from Sukuna, the tension in the room grew worse. The crackle of rising cursed energy made it difficult to breathe, but Sukuna continued to look unperturbed by it all. Even though there were two special grade sorcerers in the area, the curse was not intimidated in the least. 

“Drop your defenses, this place is incapable of producing any attacks. It is simply a device that will make visualizing my words easier. I have no desire to waste my time on lengthy descriptions, so this will do it for me.” Sukuna leaned back on his bottom set of hands, the upper set crossed over his tattooed chest. Like a friendly bird, the fog swirled around Sukuna, awaiting his next command. 

Satoru was the first to relax. Despite the migraine stabbing viciously at his brain, Satoru was still the most perceptive person in the room. His Six-Eyes had become more of a nuisance in recent times, but it would always be an invaluable asset in Satoru’s arsenal. Even with the additional tattoos and eyes, Satoru could not detect any danger. Though, the sensation of having an extra pair of eyes was quite uncomfortable. He could only see darkness through the second set, leaving him confused as to why Sukuna gave them a seemingly useless addition. 

Seeing the wariness in the sorcerer’s eyes, Sukuna finally decided to explain himself. “This fog is known as the Wretched Haze. It is a special grade cursed object that allows the user to construct whatever they desire as long as they have enough cursed energy. By giving it your blood, it can determine if you are worthy of its power or not. Of course, that is not an issue for me.” Sukuna gave a sharp-toothed grin. He pointed at the markings on the group’s faces. “Those markings only exist in this veil and will disappear once I dismiss it. The eyes will allow you to see what I create as the smoke is usually only visible to its wielder. Now, sit down unless you want me to slice you in half.” He flicked his hand and four makeshift pillows were constructed from the smoke. The sorcerers reluctantly sat down while Ryomen remained upright. In silence, Ryomen slunk over to the stone table Sukuna sat upon. He sat with his back against the table and the sorcerers. 

With that, Sukuna began constructing a familiar forest. “September of 2007. Sendai. I know that I do not need to explain the significance of this event, correct?” Without waiting for an answer from the sorcerers, Sukuna continued. More smoke was then formed into seven figures at the center of the forest. Six monsters. One infant. “This is when you encountered the cursed souls and Yuuji. It is also when you discovered that I had returned. The issue lies in the fact that this event was supposed to occur in 2018.”

Ryomen jolted at that. He snapped his head towards Sukuna, but the curse was looking elsewhere. Anger boiled in his gut at not being told such concerning information, but Ryomen knew better than to go on a tirade. Sukuna was finally talking . Ryomen had to listen, no matter how frustrated he became at the curse’s horrid communication skills. 

“Before any of you ask how I would know such a thing or bring up my knowledge of the timing of Kenjaku’s plans, I have a question for you, cursed manipulator.” Sukuna pointed at Suguru. The long-haired man straightened from his seat on the ground. “You mentioned that you have done your fair share of research. Tell me, sorcerer, what do you know of cursed souls?” As he said this, the smokey forms of the cursed souls separated from the baby, who had now disappeared. The dark fog of the forest shifted into a barren landscape with only a single tree at the center.

“In the text that I read, cursed souls were said to be the remnants of the ‘rough draft’ the Earth had for life.” Suguru spoke calmly. He tried to summon his inventory curse and was relieved when he felt no resistance from the veil. The purple worm wrapped around Suguru’s body and spat out the requested scrolls and textbook. Once in hand, Suguru gave the book to Sukuna, making the textbook look miniscule in the curse’s large palms. He also gestured towards the scrolls, looking pointedly at the largest one. “This is the only information that Jujutsu Society has on cursed souls and you, Sukuna-san. As you can see, there is a stark lack of knowledge. I discovered these texts in the catacombs of Jujutsu High in Tokyo, so this was information most are unaware of. The catacombs are meant to store that which is meant to be forgotten. I already knew of the catacombs prior to the mission in Sendai, and I was familiar with the layout due to my frequent visits there. These scrolls were hidden in the deepest parts of the catacombs. They were clearly not meant to be found. This textbook, while modern, was also amongst the scrolls.”

Several tendrils of smoke took the offered scrolls while Sukuna continued to examine the textbook. The hardcover of the book was polished, but the pages showed signs of use. From the creases, it was evident that this book was read many times over. Sukuna frowned deeply as he saw the various paintings of the guardians across the centuries. Those bastards must have run amok when I was sleeping. It was foolish of me to think that they would stay in one place, especially that damn bird. Despite his frustration, the ramblings of the author were much more concerning than the apparent fact that the guardians had gone on a worldwide tour. Itadori Kaori. Sukuna wanted to scream. He knew through Yuuji’s faded memories that this was the name of his mother. Well, it was more accurately the body of who would have been Yuuji’s mother if Kenjaku had not stolen the woman’s corpse. While he was not surprised that the curse user would do something so disgusting just for the sake of scientific curiosity, it still did not make the bile in his throat disappear. It had been millions of years since Sukuna learned of Yuuji’s ‘creation’, and time had not made the fact easier to accept. However, Sukuna grew more disturbed for a different reason. If Kaori Itadori was alive, then that meant she knew of the cursed souls, but Sukuna highly doubted a normal human would know such things or write in such a deranged manner. No. Kenjaku had likely stolen her body once more. The damned brain was quite picky with who they inhabited. They had to meet a certain criteria. From what Sukuna remembers of his meetings with Kenjaku in a world long gone, the curse user would only inhabit a tall body with black hair, long or short, and pale skin. Additionally, the brain only stole the bodies of sorcerers with powerful techniques. Sukuna could not remember what Kaori’s cursed technique was, but it must have been intriguing enough to catch Kenjaku’s eye. If the Kenjaku of this new world was the same as the old one, then their preferences for bodies had remained the same. Despite the resetting of the world, it seemed like the death of Kaori Itadori was something that could not be erased. 

Sukuna felt sick. The detailed descriptions of the cursed souls and the deranged theories pointed to one conclusion. Kenjaku knew . They likely did not know of the origin of this world’s creation, but they had studied the Yuuji’s guardians extensively. He felt the burning gaze of Ryomen locked onto the back of his skull, but Sukuna could not bring himself to look at the man. He purposely kept the textbook out of sight of Ryomen. Besides Kenjaku knowing of the cursed souls Sukuna had created, there was another concerning factor to this disastrous meeting. The Itadori family. Sukuna knew of Ryomen’s hatred of them. Ryomen had never allowed Sukuna to see into his memories, and he never spoke of what the Itadori Clan had done to him. This time, Sukuna was in the dark. All he knew was that Ryomen had slaughtered every Itadori he could find, essentially wiping them out. It was one of the first things Ryomen had done after he had given his soul to Sukuna. They never spoke of it. And Ryomen never explained why he had done such a thing. 

He shut the textbook, hiding it within the smoke. He would have to tell Ryomen about the Itadori family’s apparent survival at a later date. A much later date. 

“The information is not as inaccurate as I thought.” Sukuna mused, a hand on his chin. He grabbed the largest scroll and unraveled it with the aid of the fog. In silence, he read over the various texts and paintings. He did not recognize the handwriting, which meant that Kenjaku had not written this scroll. Though, Sukuna was not sure if it was better or worse, considering there was an additional party that knew of his origins. “This scroll has truth to it, but there are several errors and misconceptions.” 

Sukuna made the smoke figures of the cursed souls stand before him. He grabbed a ball of fog and cupped it in his bottom set of palms. He pressed down on the ball until he felt the pressure reach its maximum. When he opened his hands, a white sphere laid in the center of his palms. With his technique, Sukuna slashed the sphere into several pieces. A piece went into each guardian while the other pieces floated in the air. “The cursed souls do belong to a world long forgotten.” He would not elaborate further. He just couldn’t. 

All the sorcerers and Ryomen had stood up and were staring at the bright pieces in both awe and fascination. Satoru had even taken off his blindfold to stare at the lights, his migraine be damned. While Satoru, Nanamo, and Shoko looked at the lights, Suguru was staring at the tree. The extra pieces that floated in the air had settled in the leaves of the tree of fog. Then, the tiny pieces each shifted into the form of a peach. Suguru glanced to see if anyone else noticed what he was seeing and was met with Ryomen’s pained gaze. 

“Yuuji had always loved peaches. They were the same color of his hair, and he would tell that to any who mocked him for his unique hair color. He would say the same thing when he was defending me from the villagers ire.” Ryomen spoke quietly as a sad smile made its way across his features. Sukuna was speaking to the other sorcerers about the cursed souls, speaking of their names and abilities, vital information Suguru should listen to. But he could not bring himself to. The grief and anger in Ryomen’s eyes was familiar to Suguru, as he had seen it on his own face when he thought of Riko. 

“You speak of him in the past tense, but the boy was as lively as ever when we arrived.” Suguru responded gently, having a sinking feeling of what had happened to the boy. Unlike his own children, Yuuji seemed to be shielded from the horrors of the world, happy and carefree like a child should be. However, Ryomen’s gaze spoke of another story. 

Ryomen reached a hand towards one of the peaches made of glowing, white light. He cupped it in his hands as if it was the most precious thing in the world. “Heh. It seems like I still have that habit of speaking about Yuuji. It’s quite a pesky habit, but one I have had for one thousand years.”

Suguru felt his heart sink. The boy at the peach tree, alone and crying, was Yuuji. He had to wait for one-thousand years to be resurrected, and Ryomen had to wait one-thousand years to have his son in his arms again. Before he had Mimiko and Nanako, Suguru had looked down upon the father for not allowing the boy to rest. Now, Suguru understood why Ryomen had gone so far to keep Yuuji alive. If he lost either of his girls or Megumi and Tsumki in such an agonizing way that Ryomen did, Suguru would not have been able to accept their deaths. He would have done anything to give them another chance at life. Suguru looked at Ryomen and asked as respectfully as he could. “How is he here now?” 

Ryomen sighed. Despite his body looking like that of a man in his late twenties or early thirties, his dark honey eyes held a maturity to them of a much older individual. While the time in the modern era had changed the way Ryomen dressed and spoke, he could never shake the habits and customs of the era he was truly born in. Sukuna shared a similar sentiment. He and Ryomen had both adapted to the curse words of today, but would mix their conversations or insults with the vernacular of the Heian Era. It was difficult to see the young man in front of him as an adult, and the same went for the other sorcerers. He had lived for over one thousand years, so everyone besides Sukuna looked young to him. There had been a deep wariness and resentment for the sorcerers when Ryomen had first seen them, but it had faded considerably fast. They were just so young, and Ryomen’s paternal instinct had flared. When he saw the way that the sorcerers interacted with Yuuji, he realized that this group of sorcerers were not as horrid as he had assumed. Additionally, it made him realize that Yuuji needed human interaction besides himself. He could not keep the boy in the shrine all his life. Perhaps these humans are worth keeping around. The white-haired one seems particularly attached to Yuuji. He deserves to know what friendship and love feel like from someone other than Sukuna and I or the guardians. With Suguru still patiently waiting for an answer, Ryomen held the peach close to his chest. “He was turned into a cursed object by Sukuna. I’m not sure how Sukuna knows how to do that, but he assured me that Yuuji’s soul would be safe. Sukuna has lived far longer than me, so he was knowledge that no one in this world has.” 

Unbeknownst to Ryomen and Suguru, the others had stopped talking to listen to what the pink-haired man was saying. Sukuna also kept quiet, relieved that Ryomen had finally dropped his guard. Whenever Yuuji was the topic of conversation, Ryomen would talk for hours about his beloved son. Ryomen had murdered and hurt like Sukuna had, but they each loved that boy with every fiber of their being. The same care was seeping towards the sorcerers. Ryomen would never admit how worried he was when he saw Satoru’s sensory overload or the fondness he felt when he saw the four interact with Yuuji. It seemed like the four young sorcerers were slowly becoming part of the very, very small group of people Sukuna and Ryomen cared for. Said group used to only include Yuuji, of course, Uraume, who Sukuna secretly hoped reincarnated as he missed their cooking and their company immensely, and Miss Yunnie, the elderly woman in Sendai who made the best desserts and ramen in Japan. 

Ryomen’s gaze was still locked on the small peach. “I wanted something special for the object that would hold Yuuji’s soul. I decided on having the pits from multiple peaches be the object of choice. The guardians would also hold a small piece of Yuuji’s soul within themselves for safekeeping and to detect if a person or curse absorbed one of the pits. There were twenty pits in total, each holding a fraction of Yuuji’s soul. I didn’t want to risk a curse or sorcerer stealing a large portion of my son’s soul, so I decided on multiple cursed objects instead of one. That way, Yuuji’s soul would remain safe. Additionally, splitting the soul also meant splitting the cursed energy, which would make it even harder to detect.” 

There was a watery look in Ryomen’s eyes as he spoke the last sentence. He turned to the tree once more and whispered shakily. “The guardians took all that was left of Yuuji’s physical body along with their own soul fragments. Sukuna told me that the ashes and bones of my son would be used to construct a body identical to his original one. That way, we would not have to use a vessel to hold my son’s soul. But…something went wrong.” He locked eyes with Sukuna, the anger was still present but it was mostly overtaken by exhaustion.  

Sukuna took that as a signal to continue in Ryomen’s place. He slid off of the table and towered over the rest. With several motions from his hands, the glowing lights returned to Sukuna while the lone tree disappeared. Using the fog once more, Sukuna created the silhouette of five people. There was what looked like a man with long hair standing in the center of the other entities. Sukuna made some of the white light take the form of stitches and placed it on the man’s forehead. The other four entities appeared to be curses of some type. There was one that was tree-like, one that was squid-like, one that was a cyclops with a volcano atop its head, and one that looked human if not for the patchwork marks across its body and face. “These are who Kenjaku is working with. Four special grade disaster curses. I may not know their names but I am familiar with their abilities and how destructive they can be.”

With the remaining lights, Sukuna turned them into twenty peach pits of varying sizes. “These are the peach seeds that I sealed Yuuji’s soul within. I planned to release the seals in 2018, but someone managed to unseal it before I could. That someone was Kenjkau. There is no doubt in my mind. They are a curse user with a technique that allows them to swap their brain with any body they desire, essentially giving them immortality. They can also hold onto the techniques of the previous bodies they inhabit and are able to copy their personality and their hosts’s cursed energy. They are the only being who is as knowledgeable of souls like I am.”

Sukuna made six peach pits float into an outstretched palm. “All twenty of the seeds were hidden by the cursed souls, who are Yuuji’s guardians. They have a sliver of Yuuji’s soul within them in order to detect if one of the pits were absorbed, but there has been nothing detected. This would be a good thing if it wasn’t for the fact that-”

“The pits are missing. That’s why Yuuji and the guardians came back ten years too early.” Ryomen finished for him. His eyes were wide at the realization and his body started to shake. He had become so pale he was nearly gray. There was no stopping the feeling of utter betrayal Ryomen felt. Of all things that Sukuna kept hidden, why would he ever keep this from him? He was too distraught to raise his voice any louder than a whisper. “ Why didn’t you tell me? ”

“Because I have no proof to that claim and because I knew you would not rest until all seeds were found. Yuuji was an infant who needed constant attention. He needed his father with him, not on a wild goose chase that might not result in anything.” Ryomen looked shocked and while Sukuna had an apologetic look within his eyes, no apology came verbally. With a surprisingly soft sigh, Sukuna held one of the peach pits close, identical to what Ryomen had done earlier. “If Yuuji was in active danger, then I would have told you immediately. There was no need to tell you back then as Yuuji was perfectly healthy and safe. He has his original body like I planned and his soul is intact-”

“How do you know that?!” Ryomen snapped. “How the hell do you know that his soul is safe?! How the hell do you even know what fucking Kenjaku is doing?! You still haven't explained shit on that end! How to hell do I know you’re not allied with them?!”

“I WOULD NEVER ALLY MYSELF WITH THAT FUCKING DESPICABLE MONSTER! HOW DARE YOU THINK THAT I WOULD DO SUCH A THING AFTER EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE TO KEEP YUUJI SAFE?! ” Sukuna roared back, his prior calmness replaced with furious indignation. The claws on his four hands unsheathed completely as he bared his sharp teeth, making the curse resemble the demon the legends depicted him as. Ryomen did not flinch, but the sorcerers around them were on high alert. Sukuna looked away and tried his best to calm down. He took several deep breaths to compose himself. He knew Ryomen had every right to be upset and distrustful, but Sukuna was never a fair person. He was still furious, but this was not the time to snarl and bite. Sukuna rubbed his temples harshly, claws nearly slicing into his skin. He could tell the truth. He should tell the truth. 

It would make everything so much easier. They would be able to prepare accordingly, and there would not be any doubt about Sukuna’s intentions. It would help Yuuji. It might save him if he told the truth to everyone. 

But then Sukuna would have to reveal why this world existed in the first place. 

He would have to reveal what he had done to the innocent boy Ryomen loved so much.

He would have to reveal that he had slaughtered Gojo Satoru in the body of Megumi Fushiguro, the man's adopted son. Yuuji’s best friend.

He would have to reveal everything he did in Shibuya. All the people he murdered and how he had tortured Yuuji with their deaths over and over and over again. 

He would have to reveal that he did work with Kenjaku, even if it was temporary. 

He would have to reveal how he alone had destroyed the world and everything in it. 

He would have to reveal it all . 

He couldn’t. 

For the first time in centuries, Sukuna cowered away from something. 

He was not a good person. Never was.

So he decided to lie. 

“The guardians and I both come from the same forgotten world.” Sukuna knew he was lying through his teeth, but he could not retract his words. The false narrative he would need to construct could have some truth to it to make it more realistic and consistent. He would have to keep up his network of lies for the rest of his immortal life. He swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat as he used the fog to create two planets. One Earth was full of life while the other appeared to be a lifeless outline. Sukuna walked towards the empty Earth and began to tell a story tainted with lies. “Life is a complicated thing, so the world needed a couple tries to get it right. However, the souls of the faulty ‘first-drafts’ still remained. The world is in a constant cycle of birth, evolution, and destruction. Nothing was supposed to survive the Earth’s attempt at resetting itself, but souls are stubborn. My soul was strong enough to survive as well as the souls of the guardians. I have seen this world go through several evolutions and extinctions. It seems like life today is the final draft that the Earth is satisfied with. The life I lived before this era of evolution is one I do not remember. The first forms of life were souls, which were small and weak, but still alive. Many events that happened then will occur in the present. The Earth is unpredictable in some areas, but there are always patterns it refuses to let go of. Call it a time loop or perhaps an act of God. I don’t care. There are events that are cemented into the Earth’s very being. They will always happen, no matter what one does to change it. Some events are not as important and can be altered, but the few that are vital to the Earth cannot be prevented or avoided. That is how I know of Kenjaku’s plan. No matter how many times the world is reborn and destroyed, Kenjaku will always be a reprehensible individual. Their plans may change, but their corruption persists. As does their timing.”

Sukuna had created a web of lies that were intertwined with several truths to keep the falsehood from falling apart. His voice was steady and confident as he spoke, causing the others to be inclined to believe him. Ryomen had gone eerily silent. Sukuna could feel the conflict within Ryomen as if it was his own. Eager to change the subject, he released the two planets and focused back on the five figures. “Kenjaku is a being that only acts in their own self-interest and curiosites. They are willing to do the most vile things for the hell of it. If Kenjaku has been studying cursed souls, then I have no doubt that their plans are centered around the guardians and Yuuji. They can imbue cursed objects with the souls of others like I can, so they must have discovered the peach pits and managed to release the seals with one of their own.” 

“But you don’t know how many seeds Kenjaku stole?” Ryomen mumbled, his voice empty and dull. 

“I don’t.” Sukuna replied truthfully. For once . “However, Yuuji shows no signs of a damaged or incomplete soul, but there is a possibility that the fragments the guardians have within them may be acting as a substitute. I would have to examine Yuuji’s soul to be sure, but the procedure is quite frightening and stressful. Yuuji is too young to understand a thing if we were to do this now, so I advise we wait until he is at least ten to speak to him about this.” 

Ryomen nodded. He bit his thumb as he looked in the distance, a habit Ryome had when he was thinking quite hard on something. While the man processed, Sukuna noticed the sorcerers getting closer to the curse. Nanami was the one who addressed the curse first.

“Do you have any seeds in your possession?” Nanami spoke lowly.

“Yes, there are six of them hidden within the shrine.” Sukuna replied carefully.

Nanami bowed his head. “Thank you. That means that there are six less pits to worry about. Fourteen is a more manageable amount than twenty. Do you have any leads as to where the other seeds could have been hidden?”

For a moment, Sukuna just stared at the blonde. He remembered how fond Yuuji was of the man, and how he followed the seven-to-three sorcerer like a lost duckling. At the time, Sukuna had found it pathetic. Now, Sukuna saw why Yuuji had adored Nanami so much. The man, as young as he was, held a sternness to him that was equivalent to an old teacher. However, this strictness was more reassuring than intimidating. It showed that Nanami was reliable and would be an anchor of support that could not be lifted no matter what. The Yuuji of the past was a mess of self-hatred, a savior-complex, and emotional repression. Sukuna had only worsened the young teen’s issues, but Nanami had given the boy a dependable and stable adult to confide in. Nanami was still quite young, but Sukuna could see the man’s determination to aid the child. Sukuna felt a small grin appear on his face. “I may not have any knowledge of the seeds' whereabouts but the guardians do. They should be-”

“-ABLE TO TRAIN YOU!” Ryomen blurted out, interrupting Sukuna for the umpteenth time. A wild look appeared in Ryomen’s eyes. The stress of the day had truly gotten to the man. A stressed Ryomen was a violent Ryomen. Though the violence could be physical, it was often verbal with the man going on very long rants about nonsense. 

“Train us?” Satoru tilted his head and scoffed at such an idea. “ We are already fully-trained sorcerers. I don’t think there is much those things can teach us that we don’t already know.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, kid.” Ryomen chirped, his gaze intense as he studied them all. “You’re weak. All four of you. If my son is to be protected. then I will make sure that his human guardians are as strong as his monstrous guardians. I am not going to allow any more sorcerers, so you better be prepared to become a one-man army.” 

Satoru, Suguru, and Nanami froze at the man’s words. They were used to Yaga’s intensity during teaching, but Ryomen was on a completely different level than Yaga. When the pink haired man moved towards Nanami, he did it with such speed that it looked like he teleported. The wrapped blade Nanami wielded was now in Ryomen’s hands. “Based on the suit you are wearing, I doubt that you are an active sorcerer. Your skills must never get rusty if you are to protect my son! Hm…Based on your similarities with Overtime, I assume you have his ratio technique. Good. I’ll have him train you until your technique is strong enough to cut through diamonds and precise enough to cut a droplet of water on the head of a pin. Understood?”

The youngest of the four nodded his head, eyes wide behind his glasses. He could tell by the way that Ryomen spoke that this training would be brutal.Additionally, he remembered the cursed soul that had spotted wrappings and similar glasses. He had seen the entity slice a metal beam in half with only one slash of a thin wrapping. Overtime’s slashes were much deadlier than his own. Nanami had nearly gotten his arm cut off when one of Overtime’s wrappings got too close during the Sendai mission. It would be grueling, but Nanami was determined to grow stronger. An innocent child’s life was at stake, and he could not stand idly by and allow the boy to get killed.

“I am not training with that fucking bird.” Satoru ground out, arms crossed in a childish pout. He was strong enough on his own, and he never wanted to be near the beast again. Ryomen merely smiled. However, it was not warm or reassuring. His smile was like the grin of a beast about to eat its prey whole. 

Ryomen had dealt with enough bullshit to last a lifetime. He was not going to allow Sukuna to take the reins this time. The man had reached his limit with Sukuna’s secretism. His son will be safe, Ryomen will make sure of that, even if he has to do everything himself. Ryomen was going to do things his way. The limitless user had not activated his infinity, so Ryomen took that chance to grab Satoru by the color of his shirt. The honey of his eyes darkened with unsaid threats and warnings. With an authoritative tone, Ryomen reprimanded Gojo Satoru as if he was a child in timeout. “Young man, you are nowhere near the level of power Infinite has. I know that he is a pain in the ass at best and a deranged monster at worst. But he is the only one that can make you stronger as no one else shares the technique you have. So you will be quiet and accept the training like the mature adult you keep saying you are. Got it?”

Now, Satoru had the same wide-eyed look Nanami had. He was the strongest sorcerer, no one could talk down to him without looking delusional or idiotic. However, Ryomen made Satoru feel like a boy all over again. No one had ever spoken to Satoru like Ryomen did. He was usually yelled at and insulted for his many antics, but Ryomen had not raised his voice. The paternal tone was something Satoru was not familiar with. He had begun to develop it for his own children, but there had never been any form of paternal authority aimed towards Satoru. Ryomen pat Satoru’s head, his incredibly warm palm doing wonders to Satoru’s migraine. 

When Ryomen aimed his gaze at Suguru, the long-haired man smiled. “I do not think that any of the guardians will be able to train me. My technique is quite unique so I’m accustomed to practicing on my own-”

“You're training with me.” Ryomen interrupted Suguru. Said man looked like a fish out of water with his wide eyes and open jaw. It reminded him of Yuuji’s face when Ryomen told him that bananas are a type of berry. He could see the troubled mind that Suguru had, it was obvious by the way he held himself and spoke. Ryomen had a feeling that he would be able to relate to the young man on many things. He gently poked at Suguru’s left shoulder. “You have the build of someone that is familiar with hand to hand combat. I may not be able to manipulate cursed spirits, but I know my way around cursed energy and the body. I’ll have you master several forms of martial arts until you don’t need to rely on your curses anymore. When I’m not teaching you how to defeat an opponent with one finger, I will be showing you how to master your cursed energy. To refine and shape it into something truly fitting for a sorcerer like yourself.” Ryomen summoned a flame-like dagger in his palms when speaking about polishing one’s cursed energy. 

Seemingly satisfied with his decision, Ryomen nodded to himself and went to sit on top of the stone table. The three male sorcerers were still left in a state of shock. They swore they could feel their muscles growing sore from the mere thought of the training to come. 

Shoko smirked at her friends. “Hah! Guess you guys are going to the trenches. I’ll be sure to relax extra hard in your honor.”

Before the three could reply, Sukuna barked out a laugh. “Oh, you are not going to be relaxing in the slightest. You are going to be working just as hard as your little friends.”

“Ah yes, have one of those beasts train the healer with no offensive capabilities.” Shoko drawled sarcastically.

“Oh no, you’re not going to be training with a guardian.” Sukuna relished in the confused look on the young woman’s face. He spread his bottom pair of arms out and used the top set to gesture towards himself. Satoru had a wide grin on his face and began to cackle while Suguru tried his best to stifle a laugh behind his hand. Nanami simply looked surprised. “You will be training with me.”

The lollipop stick Shoko had been chewing on dropped out of her mouth. Her normally neutral expression was replaced with one of shock. She had never trained with her peers. She was the healer for goodness sake! Meant to stay on the sidelines and away from the battlefield! Shoko laughed wearily. “What can the King of Death teach about healing? I have never heard you saving a life in any tale.”

Sukuna’s grin widened. “That is because no one is worthy of my aid. However, my reverse cursed technique has been refined over millions of years of practice, so I know much more than you think, little healer.” 

“How advanced? Healing a paper cut?” Shoko had her arms crossed with a scowl on her face.

Another deep laugh burst from Sukuna. His smugness grew even more. “Well, I have been able to regrow limbs in seconds. I have sliced Ryomen to pieces and have been able to heal him completely within moments. I even ripped out his heart and brain and restored it two days later.” It was a grim fact, but Ryomen and Sukuna had made up for that incident. They were very different people in the Heian Era and preferred to simply forget what they had done to each other in those times. 

The casual tone Sukuna adopted made it sound like the curse was talking about the weather. Shoko felt an eye twitch. She had never heard of someone managing to bring someone back to life after such an injury. The brain and heart were the most difficult thing to heal, it was nearly impossible to do so. It was more likely that you would cause further damage to the brain or heart when trying to use reverse cursed technique than actually heal the vital organs. Case in point: Satoru’s brain. When Shoko had examined her friend with her technique, Satoru recoiled immediately and began to scream in agony. For the brief second that Shoko was able to touch Satoru’s head, she saw deep cracks littered through his mind. They were markings that would not show up on an actual MRI or CAT scan as the damage was not physical. It was something otherworldly, and Shoko could not do anything to help Satoru. But Sukuna had healed his brain perfectly before. She needed to grow stronger in her own abilities if her friends were going to be putting themselves in more danger than ever before. Taking out a piece of gum from her pocket, Shoko sighed heavily. “Alright. I’ll be your damn apprentice or some shit.”

It was reassuring to see the sorcerers readily agree to give their aid without any stipulations. Jujutsu Society was corrupted from the inside out, but it seemed like this small group was part of the minority who truly wanted to help people. Sukuna nor Ryomen fully trusted the sorcerers after the meeting, but they were willing to give them a chance. They were willing to do anything to ensure the light in Yuuji’s eyes never fades away. 

Never again.

-

When Yuuji woke up, he was cold. 

He didn’t like being cold.

His Papa and Uncle were always so warm, they were like living blankets! 

But Yuuji was cold. 

The toddler could not even feel the warmth of Supernova’s fur or the soothing heat of Overtime’s magma. Yuuji felt his heart leap up to his throat. He looked around to see if his Papa or guardians were nearby, and he only found a frozen tundra. 

All that the boy could see was white and red. White and red. White and red.

Then he saw gray.

Yuuji looked up from his seat on the snow to the gray figure peering down at him. Instantly, a wave of recognition hit Yuuji. It was the Gray Him! Yuuji stood up, arms close to his chest to preserve warmth. He knew his man. He dreamed of the man in gray every night, but he could never remember the man when he woke up. But when he fell asleep, the sense of familiarity and memories of the previous dream came flooding in. 

The man looked like him if he was older, but he also looked so sad. Yuuji had tried to talk to the man, but he never responded to any of Yuuji’s attempts at comfort. When Yuuji would try to hug his leg or arm, the man would not react either. The gray man would just stare or walk away. Yuuji had begun calling him Mr. Gray or Gray Him as the man had never given Yuuji his name. In fact, Mr. Gray never spoke to Yuuji. Not directly, at least. Yuuji would follow Mr. Gray on his walks throughout the dreamworld they were in and listen to the man’s quiet whispers of regret and apologies. 

Mr. Gray had the same eye markings that Yuuji did and the same marks on his eyebrow and lip. Though, Mr. Gray’s markings looked much more painful than Yuuji’s. He smiled at Mr. Gray, who had now reached a hand for Yuuji to take. Without hesitation, he did. Mr. Gray’s hand was as cold as the snow they were walking through. As they walked, Yuuji saw the many droplets and pools of red across the pure-white snow. The barren trees were covered in frost as well. At times, Mr. Gray would walk away before Yuuji got the chance to say ‘hi’, but this was the first time Mr. Gray was holding Yuuji’s hand! Not the other way around!

“Are you okay, Mr. Gray?” Yuuji asked with a worried frown on his lips. Papa had always told him that it was okay to be sad, but it was also okay to ask for help. 

Instead of responding, Mr. Gray continued to gently tug Yuuji through the tundra, his gray hair and hoodie blowing with the vicious wind. Eventually, they seemed to reach the end of the forest as the trees had disappeared. Where the trees had ended, a deep crater had begun. Yuuji held onto Mr. Grey’s calloused hand tighter. He did not like exploring the crater. It made him really sad and angry when he looked at it, and Yuuji did not know why. 

Fortunately, Mr. Gray did not move any further. He released Yuuji’s hand and knelt in front of the little boy. His eyes were as monochrome as the rest of his body, but there was an emotion within that Yuuji could not place. All that he knew was that it made Mr. Gray seems more alive than ever before. 

“Mr. Gray?”

A pale hand grasped Yuuji’s once more. For the first time, Mr. Gray spoke to him. His voice was raspy from lack of use, and his tone was lifeless as if he was a machine. He squeezed Yuuji’s hands within himself. He whispered to the boy. “Protect them. All of them.” 

“Who?” Yuuji whispered back. Was he talking about Papa and his Uncle Kuna? But they didn’t need protection? They were the strongest people in the universe!

“Keep them safe.” The monochromatic man pleaded. His tone was still dule, but his gray eyes held a desperation deep inside. 

It then clicked for Yuuji. The guests Uncle Kuna and Papa had. The people that made Yuuji all fuzzy inside. He liked them a lot! Gojo was really fun and nice, Getou had a very soothing voice, Shoko had given him a lollipop, and Nanami had made him an origami crane! Yuuji nodded passionately. “Okay! I pinky promise!”

The slightest quirk on the corners of Mr. Gray’s lips made Yuuji want to jump and dance. He was smiling! Mr. Gray had initially gone to give Yuuji the pinky on his left hand, but there was only a stump left. Quick to switch hands, Yuuji beamed at Mr. Gray. “Pinky promise!”

Mr. Gray nodded. “Will you protect them?”

“Mhm!” Yuuji nodded his head once more. 

After their pinkies interlocked and then separated, Mr. Gray had returned to his normally sad expression. He stood once more. As he did so, the winds from earlier turned into a blizzard. It was the telltale sign that Yuuji was going to wake up. But he didn’t want to go just yet! Mr. Gray had talked to him! He smiled! Yuuji couldn’t leave now!

As the snow grew heavier until Yuuji could no longer see in front of him, Mr. Gray’s voice could be heard over the winds. 

“Protect them, even if it costs you your life. They deserve to live…We don’t.”

Yuuji woke up in tears, already forgetting the dream he had had. For the first time, Uncle Kuna was not there when Yuuji woke up from his nap. His lip wobbled as the toddler tried to hold in his cries, but it was no use. Small sobs escaped Yuuji as he grew increasingly more distressed. 

Then a warm, fluffy body pressed against his. Supernova was staring at him worriedly, beginning to purr to help soothe the toddler. His sandpaper-like tongue cleaned away the boy’s tears. As his sobs turned into hiccups, Yuuji could feel Overtime’s soft wrappings smooth over his hair. He then felt Boogie give him a slobbery kiss, causing the boy to giggle. At the end of his bed, Resonance and Chimera were emitting soft churrs and clicks to further calm the frightened boy. Chimera had even summoned a rabbit for Yuuji to hold. The toddler looked around for Infinite and found the bird wrapped around the stone rafters. Infinite trilled softly and lowered his long body until his beak was touching Yuuji’s cheek. The draconic bird nuzzled the boy to reassure the toddler that he was there and that Yuuji was not alone. When Infinite returned to the rafters, he left his smoke-like tail hanging below. There were several eyes Infintie summoned within his tail, each acting as a nightlight for Yuuji. 

The soft blue glow of his room and the calming lullaby were enough to make Yuuji fall back asleep. 

He was safe.

He wasn’t alone. 

He was warm. 

Sander Sides: At the Beach

Logan: This environment is quite unpleasant. I believe going somewhere cooler would be optimal.

Patton: Don’t be such a downer, Lo! The kids are having so much fun! *points at Roman and Virgil*

Logan: Patton... Roman is currently burying Virgil in the sand.

Virgil: (an intellectual) I AM THE SAND GUARDIAN. GUARDIAN OF THE SAND! *spits out sand*

Roman: POSEIDON QUIVERS BEFORE HIM!!

Virgil: *looking at ocean* FUCK OFF

Logan: ...

Patton: See! Fun!

Logan: I hate all of you.

Chapters: 5/? Fandom: Sanders Sides (Web Series) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit Sanders Characters: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Morality | Patton Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders, Deceit Sanders, Janus Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sleep | Remy Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani, Thomas Sanders (Video Blogging RPF), Thomas Sanders' Friends, Original Side(s) (Sanders Sides) Additional Tags: Hurt Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Needs a Hug, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders Needs a Hug, Spiders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Mind Control, Blood and Violence, Psychological Torture, Married Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Sweetheart, Logic | Logan Sanders Is A Good Friend, Everyone Needs A Hug, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Adventure & Romance, Kingdoms, Mind Palace, New Dark Side, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Are Twins, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, The Author Regrets Everything, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm Summary:

After the new episode, the the sides are a mess. Janus has finally been accepted and now has a seat at the table. On the other hand, Roman has locked himself away in his room.

Needless to say, Virgil is very, very upset.

And a long forgotten side steps into the spotlight. All of this chaos and ANGER is perfect for him.

CHIMERA FANART by @n0bluev on Tumblr!

Another beautiful piece by @n0bluev! I was astonished that they drew something from my story again. It means so much for a silly little fanfic writer like me to get such amazing fanart.

It's the goopy boi! Chimera looks amazing in this! He looks mysterious and cool and AHH

I could not draw the goop nor his eyelights, and this fanart captures it so well! The green is the only color I wanted on him, and it truly pops. They also included the ability Chimera has to shift his eyelights around. AH! He just looks so awesome in this! This piece really shows the ink I imagined he would be made of. The same ink Megumi's domain has. I could never get it right when I drew him. But look! HE'S SO GOOPY AND INKY! It's just as amazing as the Infinite fanart I received. (I definitely did not praise that work enough! Infinite looks amazing and the bandages were done so well as well as his fur and talons. He's THE bird boi)

Thank you so much again for this @n0bluev :)