Chapter 35
They arrived.
The master of the horror metal scene wondered into the halls, followed by his two assistance. D'angelo sighed aloud as he looked to the man who carried himself with such dignity. His look screamed Goth yet also had a bit of steampunk mixed into it. The black top hat with goggles, the black suit with various brass buttons and chains that hung off his sides and pockets. His small beard and piercing green eyes. His hair was black as night and went down pass his shoulders. "D'angelo…" he said in a very plain and basic tone. "I hear you have something for me?"
He forced a smile. Suiryu had disappeared no more than five minutes ago but nodded. "Yeah…" he said meekly until his phone went off. It was the text he was waiting for. "Okay, just keep an open mind about them, they just started…"
"Sounds interesting already… I like no name bands, makes getting their fan base built up all the more satisfying…"
"Yes, of course Mr. Inei!"
D'angelo led the three into a darkened studio. They were perplexed by it, but he caught of guard, as Mr. Inei appeared stunned. Inei suddenly jolted back a little, as if something just startled him. "Is… there anything off about this room?" he suddenly asked.
"Off? What do you mean?" D'angelo asked.
"Never mind,"
Using the light of his phone, D'angelo led them to three empty chairs, they sat down as he stepped back and began to pray, but the artist in him also saw the motion camera lingering and calling his name. "Why do I feel like I have to record this?" He snuck his way over, and set the camera up, he just hit record when the sound of an electric guitar broke the silence…
Haunting lyrics began to follow as a voice pierce the darkness.
"I will forever be reminded
Of our struggled to survive
The betrayal that you conspired in
All that devotion thrown away
And with everything I confided
I should have known not to trust again
This insanity has divided
Left me with nothing left to destroy
I'm becoming so paranoid
Everyone is so paranoid"
D'angelo paused as the beat began to alter, when the song reached to the choirs, he swore. The one singing began to reveal their silhouette oddly.
"In a moment you will see my other side
When I'm confronted
My demeanor turns from Jekyll into Hyde"
The singer began to have strange marks lit up on their body in a crimson red… and four piercing eyes that were on a single face peered through the shadows and into their souls for but a second, as the singer vanished in the darkness once more.
But he recognized that look to…
"Hell has broken free tonight
No pale deception anymore
You awoke him, now he will feed
On the lies
He demands your sacrifice
I can barely control this feeling
Look at the murder in my eyes
I was never good at concealing
Violent thoughts have come to life
Horror will have a deeper meaning
You are the reason this began
Even now I can hear you screaming
There's only one thing left to destroy
And I'll no longer be paranoid
No more reason to be annoyed
In a moment you will see my other side
When I'm confronted
My demeanor turns from Jekyll into Hyde"
The lights began to reveal more and more, until this moment, when D'angelo gasped to see it was Suiryu singing, in his Halloween make up and all! Those around him appeared just as horrific with bloody markings on their bodies, the one on guitar had one side of his face oozing blood from a strange mark on his right side. His face was also discolored. The one on bass appeared more like a male stripper. Then the guy on drums wasn't covered from the chest up, but was wearing odd animal skins for pants!
"Hell has broken free tonight
No pale deception anymore
You awoke him, now he will feed
On the lies
He demands your sacrifice
Hell has broken free tonight
No pale deception anymore
You awoke him, now he will feed
On the lies
Hell has broken free tonight
No pale reflection anymore
You awoke him, now he will feed
On the lies
He demands your sacrifice"
The song came to an end. D'angelo turned the camera off and faced his clients but froze as Inei was already out of his chair, but he appeared terrified to who was before him. Clenching tightly in his hand was a cane of sorts. He never saw him walk in with one, but now, one was in his grasp as he was holding on to it for dear life!
"N… name…" stammered Inei. "What… what is your name!"
Suiryu bore a wicked grin, one that would make a person's blood run cold and spine shutter. He turned to the other band members who were smiling as well. "Ryomen Sukuna"
#
He had to admit, it was a LOT more fun than he thought it would be. Suiryu never tried singing before, but when he was training Junpei when he was first revived, he was given the opportunity to listen to some. The band they both liked was called Disturbed and the song he just sung, Sacrifice, was perfect to set the mood with these people.
But there was something else going on. Inei was holding out on them. When the song ended, he was panicked, this man knew exactly who he was. So, he decided to test the waters a little more. He and the brothers agreed on the band name of Ryomen Sukuna just to see if there was a reaction. And there was. Now, to see how far it goes.
He approached the three calmly, yet Inei was on his toes. "EVERYONE OUT!" he ordered. "But… you four… stay…" he said pointing to Suiryu and the brothers.
Everyone walked out of the room, Inei hand still tightly grasped on the cane he just manifested halfway through the song. "So, what did you think?" Suiryu asked with a wicked grin.
Inei glared at him. "The name isn't just a coincidence, is it?" he muttered.
His smile grew even more. "You tell me,"
It was almost like a stand off, to see who would strike first. "You are not the demon vessel I have heard of… Yuuji Itadori, are you?"
"Damn, everyone knows Itadori…" muttered Junpei.
"YOU! You three are the cursed wombs aren't you?" he demanded.
"Yes, we are," Eso said. "Is that a problem?"
Inei turned back to Suiryu. "Ryomen Sukuna… but…" suddenly, his hands no longer grasped the cane out of desperation. "Who are you really? Had you been him… I doubt I would be standing here listening to you sing."
This took him by surprise. Suiryu thought for sure this guy would have struck before thinking. His smile came more genuine and less creepy. "Suiryu Itadori… long story short, I did come from the king of curses upon his defeat by the demon vessel through purification. I manifested, was given a cloned body of Itadori, and well… here I am" he said plain and simply. "Now then, Inei is it? Why the hell are you staying in the shadows… you're a special grade sorcerer aren't you?"
A nod came from the man. "Yes, but I am with no one in the Jujutsu council or their legions. I work alone for I don't share their values. Satoru Gojo had contacted me a while back in trying to find ways of saving Yuuji Itadori… I didn't have any idea or concept as to how, but as I researched, I heard one Yua Tooru managed to do it… I had always wanted to meet her, but never got the chance."
He nodded respectfully. "So, what's this about? I know why you are special grade and keeping it under wraps, but there is a lot more to this little persona than what you are revealing."
Inei nodded. "In truth, my power is this. I am able to manipulate curse energy expelled out by people… I can refine it to the point that it can't be absorbed by curses, but it can be taken in by me." He explained.
"That, and you also know that metal heads are able to process negative motions more and better than most people," said Junpei.
Inei paused but nodded. "Indeed, at metal concerts, despite the lyrics, how dark they may be, what they are trying to say, the people understand it and are able to harness that to properly understand their own negative emotion… it's released in the concert on a grand scale but not to the point that it will summon or create a curse since the energy is released in a positive way…"
"It's a celebration of one's emotional understand…" Suiryu muttered as he began to hold his chin in thought. "So, when that energy is released, you take it in since it's refined…"
"Yes, that in return I use it to exorcise the area. I've been doing this often since I can cover a lot more people and cities with one show. But the problem is this, there is one area I am not able to properly tend to."
"Shibuya," Suiryu muttered.
"Yes… how… never mind I nearly forgot…"
He began to think it over more. The idea is plausible. "That would be a massive undertaking too, considering the devastation that happened there. So much negativity is still brewing as well, it's a city that is not going to heal any times soon. Most of the curse activity is happening in that city alone compared to the rest of Japan and most within are at least grade 1 curses…"
Inei nodded in agreement. "I have wanted to cleanse that city for so long, but don't have the energy for it, I wouldn't ask you since the curses there…"
"It's not the right energy needed to dispel…" Suiryu said offhandedly.
There came silence, but Suiryu's mind was already thinking of something. "So, you use no name bands to create a concert to do such a thing… so, I suggest we make a massive one, one that has never been seen before."
"A massive concert?" asked Junpei. "Suiryu this is the first time the four of us have played together!"
"I am aware, but I also know we could pull it off, humans don't have the same endurance we do, and I also want to test something myself. It's another notion as well to consider. Curses get their power through fear and negative emotion… I want to see if we can weaken Sukuna's chances of returning…"
"Weaken it? All who know Sukuna fear him!" Inei protested.
"Yes, all jujutsu sorcerers do, but they are few and far between. What happens if we got the whole county of Japan to believe he is someone… different? A person that brings about excitement, a performer for the arts…" he said as his twisted grin grew once more. "Then how would he get strength from that?"
Silence came in the room. Inei froze to the notion but then began to think. "It… is possible… But how…"
"Gentlemen, I am proposing we make the biggest event of the year. A rock opera of sorts, the Ballard of Ryomen Sukuna and Kiju Itami…"