Chapter 20

He couldn't take it anymore.

Sukuna had enough of this, and decided to leave before it got any more revolting to him. Suiryu just finished his song, but he saw from the corner of his demon eye that they started their slow dance. Still, it sickened him and he moved himself farther away from the venue. "Disgusting, to think he wastes his time on this…"

"I wouldn't say it is a waste…"

He froze.

Slowly, he turned to see Lady Tiamat had followed him!

"Are you here to avenge your son? If so do it already, I could care less if I stay alive at this point, this existence… it's POINTLESS!" he shouted to her.

Lady Tiamat only smiled. "Ryujin never asked for vengeance, so I won't be harming you… but I am curious, why did you leave so suddenly?"

He sneered at her. "This is a waste of time, energy and quite frankly, it bores me."

Yet, as he explained, he heard a new song being played. Lady Tiamat was oddly enough dancing with herself to it. "Oh, I love this song, that's a perfect one to start the night off with…"

"Do you even care to listen to what I have to say?!" Sukuna demanded.

She paused from her dancing. "I do, but at the same time, what you feel isn't what you want to express…"

"What?"

Lady Tiamat smiled to him. "What you feel… isn't what you want to express… I know that because…" she suddenly pointed to his heart. "Of that,"

"Tch, what of it!"

"Oh, it's going to be very painful for you…"

"My death? So be it!"

"Who said anything about you dying?" she asked curiously. "If anything, when this is all said and done, it would be best to keep you alive… or the cycle repeats itself… I have been very fortunate that the timeline is in sync with what I desire… however I will warn you, Sukuna. What you have in store for my grandson… will not be overlooked!"

That… he felt the fear get the better of him. "What ever do you…"

"Just like his father, isn't he? A vessel… you plan to exploit for yourself… However, due to the fact that Kiyoshi isn't my blood relative, born before Yuuji became a dragon, I cannot interfere as much as I would like to. However… I do warn you. If anything happens to him, I will let my sons do with you as they wish. Even if it breaks the world laws… I'll permit just this once that they punish you however they see fit…" she paused though. "That is, if they desire as such. There is another who would do far worst to you then them…"

"Tooru," he growled.

"Have you not asked yourself WHY you have been bounded to Yua? Suiryu did that on his own, however, I was going to ask my sons do that very thing to you…"

He sneered at the notion. Sukuna knows the Toorus have nearly been killed off because of him, not to mention manipulating their ancestor who felt cheated that he would never be entrusted with the dragon. But, either way, their deaths were on his head. "Why go through so much trouble for one family?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied. "Out of ALL other clans in the region… you, targeted the Toorus on purpose… but even now, you could look me in the eyes and not know yourself as to why you did."

Sukuna glared at her, he was about to speak, but paused. "What does it matter?" he demanded. "I have killed MILLIONS, and yet you want me to focus on ONE particular family? I've ended many like them."

"No, you haven't." she said gently. "Sukuna. You have always targeted the Toorus, even if there was a sorcerer around who was stronger than the one you targeted… you still went for the Tooru. But even now, you can't bring yourself to ask why?"

"I killed many blindly, what does it matter!"

She paused and sighed aloud. "This will not end well for you," she warned. "Despite that, Ryomen. I do hope for your sake you survive. After all, despite what my sons wish to do, and even Yua at this point… death is too merciful."

"That is why they seek to keep me alive…"

"And I hope they do, for what is to come, is nothing anyone is prepared for."

"Which is?"

She turned and began to go back to the party, she merely turned her head to the side and smiled. "The truth," and left him be.

Still, there was another reason why he left the celebration. That Nobara's girl makes his skin crawl oddly, and yet. The moment he saw her dancing with the knock off… smiling… having fun… it made him…

It made him…

Sukuna… suddenly froze. His head couldn't make sense of this feeling, he couldn't understand what it was either and yet… why did it feel familiar to him!? Was he upset? No… he can get upset easily… Jealous? Why would he be? Was… was something else going on with him?

He sneered and decided to call it a night, whatever this feeling was, he will sleep it off and let it vanish. It can't mean anything now, can it?

#

Meanwhile…

"YOU CANNOT ENTER HERE!"

"Step aside you old fox!"

The grey fox that has served Lady Tiamat for centuries stood at the ready for battle. He refused to give an inch, despite the creature before him. "I will not, you have entered the territory of Lady Tiamat, you have NOT been invited here!"

Before him, stood her uncle. A greedy dragon that he refuses to obey no matter the order or power he possesses. "You are to stand down or die you old fox!"

He refused to move. "Lady Tiamat, has entrusted me to protect her home. I will live up to that trust!"

He wasn't given a chance to fight back, the grey fox was slashed across the chest, his blood flowed as his bone broke and organs were on the verge of seeping out. He was kicked for good measures across the room and landed with a sickening splat against the far wall.

The grey fox didn't move after that. "Know your place, furball"

From there, uncle peered about but felt it.

He went to Lady Tiamat's room and there it rested on an elegant table. He smirked and approached a rather large pearl that rested on a soft pillow, surrounded by soft blankets. "She really did keep you around didn't she? You coward!" Uncle said and snickered. "You are about to become useful, you know. But, you are going to be one of my many bargaining chips…" He snatched the pearl, and yet in doing so, the pearl went through his hand and suddenly… it vanished!

"WHAT! NO!"

He could still sense the pearl, however it made it's way down from the heavenly realm… and is now within the earthly domain of Lady Tiamat. "Tch, it doesn't matter, he was weak anyways. Nothing like his brother Ryujin… oh well, I still have other pieces to play…"