The next day later, the house never felt so lively yet cold. Naozumi seemed happy to play with Yuji and Yuta while my in-laws were content to be spending time with their grandson during a difficult time. I know everyone is trying to protect my poor son from knowing the truth as well. No child should have to bear this much stress like I am.
"Honey," I jolted in my spot and glanced up to see Gojo smiling at me. Then he leaned down to peck a kiss on my forehead. "Let's go down the dungeon."
"The dungeon? Since when did we have one?!" For my whole life of living in this house, I didn't even know we had one. I thought we only had a basement, and the basement was pretty small too. What kind of secrets were Gojo hiding from me till now? That he's madly in love with Nanami? Because he tends to act more affectionate towards him just like he acts towards me.
"It's underneath the basement. I never told you about it because I saw no need to. I'm pretty sure all clan houses do have one."
A cold shiver shot up my spine as I recalled my youth in the torture chamber. I was whipped till I became so numb and lifeless. No matter how many times they healed me, I could still feel the gashes compiling on top of each other. One opening after the other. It was painful to live through for 18 years. If I could restart my life, I would make sure they respected and obeyed me. "Yeah, I know. My clan did that to me…" I bitterly replied, burning their faces in my head. "Well, let's go…" I didn't want to keep the granny waiting because we were fighting against time right now. Who knows how long I'm going to be alive until the next assassin striked again.
Entering into the dungeon, the air was ice cold. If I puffed out air, I bet I'd be able to see my breath. "Babe, are you cold?" Gojo noticed my semi-shivering body waddling beside him. How was Gojo only wearing a thin long sleeved shirt and sweatpant but not cold? I'm also dressed as similar as him yet I'm feeling the prickling air stabbing me. Why's he built differently?
"Yes, of course! Down here is like living in Antarctica." Then I thought about the granny. For sure she would've freezed down here because there's no way this dungeon can sustain any form of life. "Is the granny dead? I doubt she'll survive if I can't. Old people are fragile." If the granny did die, we're all back to square one.
However on Gojo's face, there was a nonchalant smile curling his lips. He tilted his head down as his black sunglasses moved down the bridge of his nose, appearing his sparkling blue eyes. I felt my heart throbbing by the sight of it as my ears burned. Slowly I turned my head away while my heart raced. I can't look at him. He's too hot. This man is dangerous. Even if he's my husband, he still has the ability to make my heart go crazy. He's a different breed.
"Don't worry about the granny. She will survive until the very end." His sinister gruff voice rang in the deadly air. "Oh honey, why aren't you staring at me?!" Gojo switched back to his needy nature after showing his prowess. "Didn't I sound manly that made you want to go to bed with me?!" He clung on to me, dragging me down with his weight. The duality he brings… I don't know whether it's good or not.
Turning my head, I pushed up his sunglasses to sit comfortably back to his eyes with my pointer and middle fingers. "Yes, yes." I didn't want him to see my flustered state. I'm tired of him poking fun of me whenever he does show his eyes here and there. "You're manly and cute. I love you and now let's go!" I'd prefer if Gojo didn't try to stall until he fished out a compliment from me.
In spite of complimenting him, Gojo wanted more from me as he stopped walking which caused me to stop since we were holding hands. I whipped my head over my shoulder to see a whiny look on his face. "But baaaaaabe! Where's my kiss? You always give me kisses." He pouted.
I blinked a couple of times before lifting up my free hand and pounding his head. He has the nerves to act like a baby during crucial times like this.
Bang!
My fist created a big bump on his head. "Ouch!" He winced in pain, rubbing his poor bump.
"Satoru, you better stop this instance! I'm tolerating the higher ups already. I don't need you to add more stress!"
"Okay, I'm sorry honey…!"
Standing in front of the caged granny as talisman were pinned on and around her, she intensely shivered from the cold as it nibbled on her fragile skin. The talismans were used to nullify any type of cursed energy from releasing.
"So she lives…" I mumbled, glaring at the wicked granny who tried to slay my life.
"It's the power couple." The granny lifted her head at us, smirking as she chuckled manically. "Death is upon you and everyone! It's time for the balance of the world to come undone! The Heian Period shall emerge into this new world!" The old lady was mad. She didn't care if she's in front of the two most powerful sorcerers. She's entitled to her own opinion; however, she's in our den. We will make sure that she spits out whatever she knows. Her threat won't be taken lightly.
"What a brave soul... Honey, why don't you go upstairs? I don't want you to get scared." Mentally I knew Gojo snapped. Any topic regarding me will make him lose his mind, and I won't stop him. On his face was a big crack smile which made him look a tiny bit insane. If he didn't wear shades, he would totally kill the granny with his eyes instead of his hands.
Gojo ushered me away as I complied. It's too cold down here and I'd rather not see how Gojo gets answers from the granny. I'm not trying to be reminded how my whole life looked in a nutshell.
Walking away from him, I heard Gojo talking easily on the granny until it escalated and bones could be heard shattering. My gut wrenched in the mental pain causing me discomfort. I don't have to watch to feel it in my body. The tormented sounds of agony just made me want to throw up as flashbacks of my past began to crawl forward in my head. "Nope! I'm leaving!" I zoomed out of the dungeon before my past began to haunt me.
Entering the living room, I found that my in-laws weren't home. "Nao, where did grandma and grandpa go?" I asked, seeing my son and Yuji doing a 500 puzzle game on the dining table. They looked so peaceful. It's like they found peace in this messed up world. How nice.
Naozumi didn't even pause from his action as he kept figuring out the puzzle game. "Ummm… I'm not sure. They said they gotta talk to some people then they'll be back home. Ah! Yuji! I found another missing piece!" My little boy screamed in delight. I didn't know he found puzzles so fun.
"Alright, baby. Have fun with Yuji."
"Babe!" I heard Gojo's voice call for me from the basement stairwell.
"Mm?" I jogged over to him and then immediately stopped when I spotted a small pea size blood on the left cheek on his handsome face. "Oh, Satoru! Your face is stained. Go wash it." I put a great distance between us as I didn't want him to get closer to me. If that's the granny's blood then I don't want it on my skin. I don't do cross contamination and risk my babies' lives.
Gojo listened to my words and wiped it off with his sleeve. "There. All gone!" He proudly presented his clean face—no smudge of blood on his perfect canvas. "You know I'd look hot if blood was splattered on me~" Gojo released an ugly chuckle, thinking he'll be the finest man in this world even if he's dressed like a trash can.
I'm so used to his cocky attitude, but it still leaves me breathless of how he perceived himself to be. "Ah, sure." I blinked away as I stood in front of him awkwardly, fiddling my fingers on top of my growing belly. "If that's what you think…" The stench of blood isn't hot, so I don't know what he's getting at. To be covered in someone else's bodily fluids is nasty to think about. "Other than that, what did you get out of her? Wait, did you kill her?"
"No, I didn't. I kept her alive on the brink of death. You can heal her so we can preserve her."
I didn't want to argue with him about Gojo saying preserve as if the granny's an object. I wished he used a different word but whatever. "Okay good. Tell me what she said,'' My heart raced in anxiety as I waited for the answer. This was literally life or death. If that granny said she's not affiliated with the higher ups, I'm going to slaughter them and anyone who gets in my way. I will not hesitate to kill any sorcerers either, even if they're my friends. I'm okay going down as the most treacherous sorcerer in jujutsu history.
A grim look shadowed Gojo's face. His eyes darkened as his lips frowned in ire. "The higher ups conspired with curse users since sorcerers won't really take action unless rules are violated. I'm guessing sorcerers are still waiting for evidence to pile and be shown, so as of right now they're taking orders until then."
It's bullshit to hear that they're taking orders before seeking out evidence. Yet then again, they don't really have a word to object their duties. How stressful… Gritting my teeth, I rotated my neck around as my hand was placed on the back of my neck. A sluggish expression took over. "We should make our moves before they start to fabricate shit." I don't know how far they'll go, but it's crazy that they're wanting to eliminate me when I have the power to exorcise all cursed spirits in a flash. They need my ability as I, the last Kita member, has this ability. Naozumi didn't inherit my powers but my cursed eyes. My triplet might, however, I won't even know because of these higher ups wanting to kill me.
"They hired a lot of curse users in this case, Ena. This means you have to be cautious about where you go."
"Then let's lure them out," I insanely grinned, staring at Gojo with crazy eyes. "I want the higher ups to know that I didn't die. Let those assassins inform them. If I'm going to suffer through this, they will too. We'll capture many assassins to bring the power of the executives' down."
Fighting fire with fire. Gojo and I will bulk up evidence to convict the higher ups of abusing their power. There's more to them than what spilled out from the granny's words. My gut was telling me that it's even deeper and sinister. I bet their true reasoning goes against the jujutsu rules too.
"I'm going shopping, Satoru. I'm bringing Yuta with me. You stay home with the kids. I'll be back with some bodies perhaps!" I gleamed at my beloved husband who has to handle this too. Nobody will approach me if Gojo's with me. Everyone's scared of him. Of course curse users and sorcerers are also scared of Yuta due to his immense cursed energy, but I'll teach him how to conceal it.
Out on a stroll, Yuta was a few feet behind me as I literally used myself as bait to lure out my enemies. Sorcerers won't strike unless I enter school grounds; curse users will because of money and freedom.
The autumn breeze of October kissed my skin while I enjoyed the weather. There were many people on the streets. They could be my killer, but they're not bold to do it in public. It would lead back to the higher ups if it did happen.
Roaming around Tokyo, I got tired so I sat down on a bench as Yuta watched me from afar. "Ughhhh I'm tired of being pregnant! 17 weeks… I still have many weeks to go!" I threw my head back and sighed tiredly. "Stupid Satoru… Always nutting in me… not only he got me pregnant, but he gave me triplets. He's asking to get no sleep. Well that's too bad. No more sex for him since the triplets gonna cockblock him from gaining my attention."
While cursing about Gojo, I didn't notice someone's presence. "Oh my! Isn't it Kita Ena—excuse me, Gojo Ena. My apologies. I'm used to you being a Kita rather than a Gojo." A sly voice entered my bubble as I lifted my to see it was Naobito's, the 26th Zenin clan's leader, son: Naoya Zenin. His sharp eyes narrowed as he smirked.
A small laugh chucked out of my mouth. His sarcasm was hilarious. Why in the world was Naobito's son here? I guarantee that all sorcerers knew about me and Gojo's sentences. Did he come here to mock me? Or personally kill me?
I secretly raised my hand up to stop Yuta from approaching. Naoya was smart enough to not cause a big scene. He already knew that the Zenin and Gojo clans don't like each other. Targeting me will make it worse. "Oh Zenin, what brings you here before me?" This is my first time meeting Naoya face to face. We never had a chance to talk to each other. Neither had any reason to.
"Is the seat next to you taken?" Naoya deflected my question.
Why did he want to get so close to me? What's wrong with this dude?
"Unfortunately it is." I snarkily reject with a bright smile on my semi-annoyed complexion.
Naoya raised a brow at me. "Really? By whom?" He looked around the areas to see nobody coming towards my direction.
"By—Hey!" Before I could kick him away from me, Naoya refused to listen as he sat beside me anyways. It's like he went deaf just to have a moment between us. So I snapped not because of my hormonal changes, but because he can't do whatever he pleased since he's the next heir. "Aren't you a bit rude, Zenin?"
A sardonic look played over his handsome yet irking face. One corner of his lips lifted as his eyes fixated on me. "Does it matter? Women are to serve their husbands. There's no need for me to listen or respect them. Besides you're a housewife now, not a heiress." He jeered in my face as my eyes widened from his nasty and sexist remark.
My heart stopped moving, feeling my anger poisoning my soul. He did not just say that. The audacity to say that shit in my face. He's asking for his deathbed. This asshole will feel my fury. "Aha!" I choked out a rattled laugh. "I serve no man. They are born with hands and legs. Why should I have to serve them when women are the ones to birth grueling vermins like you? It's honestly messed up. My son is well educated about equality for all genders. I'm pretty sure he'll be able to school your pea brain. As for the next heir, your clan is going to decline after you." I snickered, purposefully pushing his buttons. This bastard needed to get a taste of his own medicine.
Naoya's face cracked as his eyes didn't smile while his lips did—a fake one masking his true disgust of my resilient nature. I feel sorry for the women in the Zenin family. I detest misogyny. Those men can kiss my ass and die. Their parents should've said fetus deletus. Women don't deserve so much bullshit. If they actually knew what we go through on a daily basis then they would shut up. Good thing Gojo wasn't like that. I would've kicked him out of my life if he was one like negativity be gone.
"Bold of you to assume that my clan will decline after I secure my title as clan leader." His lips tightened, squeezing his irritation behind his oozing fake words.
"Bold of you to assume I'm submissive because I was raised in a traditional household. Go ask my husband about my youth. He'll gladly tell you about my feisty personality." I stood up from my seat, not wanting to be around his presence anymore. He spoiled my mood to do an assassin stakeout. I let him face my back because that's what he deserves. "I don't understand what you got out of this conversation but I'm glad it's over."
Just before I could get away, Naoya called out to me. "The Zenin clan would've done a better job at protecting you. We would've killed Sukuna's vessel when he was incarnated. Everyone knows you're Sukuna's past lover. Just because Gojo Satoru is the strongest sorcerer, what can he do to save you from the higher ups' grasp?"
So everyone knows even the clans too. Words spread quickly like a wildfire. I clicked my tongue as I rolled my eyes. He really needed to shut up. I'm tired of his mouth opening. "My husband won't let me die, that's what he'll do—save me. Also, do you really think your father would let an outsider soil your incestial blood?" I glared at him. "Your clan values bloodline, so of course he wouldn't… And besides, you can't handle me anyways. Just imagine me as Maki—a strong woman who doesn't obey men without having them feel inferior. If you can't tolerate her, you can't with me either. Even if it were to happen years ago, I would've made your life difficult." Looking over my shoulder, I gave him a courteous smile before leaving.
I really didn't understand what he got out of our conversation. It was literally me rejecting the Zenin clan. I would never ever make myself feel powerless to a man like Naoya Zenin. He got a lot of nerves to say that shit to my face, talking about how women should be treated.
"Ena-sensei, are you okay? Who was that man who talked to you?" Yuta asked, standing close to my side since I didn't want to be roaming anymore.
Having an unpleasant appearance, I let Yuta see my stank face. "He's Naoya Zenin, the clan leader's son. He's around the same age as me and Satoru. If you ever see him, go punch him. I don't like him." I don't conduct violence but if it's Naoya Zenin then I'm fine with. He purposely got under my skin, and I guess it's a good thing because I got to see his true color than his little pretty face. What did his father teach his kids?
"Oh...okay," Yuta nodded, not really understanding what went down but I'll tell him another time.
Back home, I complained to Gojo about the Zenin clan as I laid in bed. "You know, good thing you're not a sexist bastard. If you were, we wouldn't be married with kids. I wouldn't care how much money your clan paid for me. I will not acknowledge you. I feel so sorry for Maki and Mai. The bullshit they go through on a daily or used to for Maki."
I watched Gojo change into his pjs as he slipped off his shirt. His toned back was in my direction, and I couldn't help but feel in awe knowing he's mine. I get to see his muscular body every single day and I'm loving it. There were lines defining his trapezius, biceps, deltoid, and teres major/minor. It sent chills down my body. "Gosh he's sexy…" I whispered to myself, shaking my head because if I wasn't pregnant then I would be calling him to destroy me. I mean we could do it while I'm pregnant but that's just weird to think about.
"Wow! Is my wife drooling over my body?" Gojo smirked, turning around as he fixed the hem of his pjs shirt.
"Hell yeah!" I proudly announced. "Why wouldn't I? You do it to me all the damn time so I see why not?" I motioned him to come to bed.
Gojo jumped into bed, throwing the blanket over us as we snuggled together. I giggled happily feeling his warmth spread throughout my body. "Honey, who made you mad? Who am I fighting? You wouldn't bring up this topic if it didn't come out of nowhere." Gojo's in his killing mode. However, he can't kill the Zenin's clan leader's son because it'll cause a full fledged war. It's hard enough that we are in war with the higher ups. I don't need to add more stress.
"Naobito Zenin's son, Naoya Zenin. I met him today…" I told him about my encounter with him. "What trash he is. I don't even know why he talked to me. He should've walked away once he saw me." I said in disdain, wishing I never saw him today. I really could've pulled some assassins but I didn't. I was no longer in the mood to do so.
Then the next news which fell from Gojo's mouth sent my brain into a frenzy. "If that's crazy, you should know that Naobito was going to send Naoya to be a candidate for your hand in marriage. But obviously he didn't because I was the top candidate. He backed off because who's gonna choose him over me? I'm the best option." Gojo cockily scoffed because he has a big title on his head, so of course he'll be granted many opportunities. He's the king while others were nobles or peasants.
I backed up his statement on why my clan chose Gojo over Naoya and Geto. "Well… If that's how you see yourself as then go crazy. They only chose you because we would be able to produce a strong heir, that's what all clans care about. If we're talking about ability-wise you are the best choice." I didn't want to sound like we married because of our abilities but it is true. I bet he knew that as well and went through with it anyways. If I didn't have a say about my marriage then neither did he. "Mine and Geto's would be incompatible because he manipulates curses whereas I exorcise them. As for Naoya Zenin… I don't even know. Plus it wouldn't make sense either. They value blood so let's not think about it!"
I buried my head in his chest and closed my eyes. It's gross to think about Naoya Zenin being my candidate. I'm so glad that the elders chose Gojo over him. If my love life ended up with Naoya Zenin, I would be living in hell.
Gojo stroked my head as his fingers ran through my hair. It danced through each strand, massaging my scalp while at it. He has the hands of god. He's lulling me to sleep. As I felt my consciousness slipping away, Gojo kissed my head and said, "No one is going to steal you away from me. I accepted the opportunity of being your betrothed because I was forced to. But when I first met you, I fell in love with you. Your beauty and personality had me head over heels. I don't regret not meeting you."
The next day later on my stakeout with Yuta…
Yuta immediately had to deal with a high ranked cursed spirit which appeared out of the blue in our area. Regardless, I continued my stakeout. It was odd due to its timing but I didn't think too much about it. In my blood I felt the balance of the world shifting already. The near future wasn't going to look so pretty. Many people will die.
However, what I didn't expect was to be confronted by two walking cursed spirits: a fair skinned cursed spirit with a black rectangular mark over the bridge of his nose as his hair was pulled into two high ponytails. While the other one had long grey-blue hair and stitches on his face.
"...mother?" The pony haired spirit choked out in confusion yet stunned. It looked as if he saw a ghost behind me so I turned around to see there was no one. Who was he calling mother? I know I'm a mother but not a mother to a spirit.
"Choso, you have a mom?" Patchy face asked as his eyes lit up.
"Huh?" I blurted in total loss.