Chapter 32

Years more would pass.

The village, his power and territory only grew. Sukuna was a young man now, and yet he stood as a giant among his people. "Oh, the lord grew again didn't he?" snickered some of the ladies that walked by.

"But of course, he's powerful, one needs a strong body to become a great sorcerer!" said another.

He smirked to the comments, but continued on his way.

He just turned eighteen and looked beyond his years. "There you are!"

A smile came over him as he saw Ryoto approach. He too has grown stronger over the past few years, so much so, he is worthy to become his sparing partner! Ryoto recently gained curse marks of his own, a large circle on each shoulder with a solid circle in the middle of it. "Sukuna… it's nearly time," he said grimly.

He froze. "So soon?"

Ryoto nodded to him, with that, the two departed for the castle. There, the Toorus had gathered and were sitting at the bedside of Kaida. She was struggling to breath, her eyes appeared panicked as she looked about to her family. "I'm scared…" she whispered.

Sukuna had just come into the room when he saw her, she was utterly terrified of death. Kaida, he had confided in. Ryujin, who helped him adjust and learn about his own curse energy… they were dying before him.

"What… what can we do?" he asked.

The Tooru family appeared grim. "There's nothing we can do," Ryoto explained. "The dragon is too powerful to be contained in a sorcerer's body, but there is no other way to keep Ryujin alive."

"What… what happens next?"

He saw a young girl step forward, she just turned fourteen years old and wore a large tooth around her neck. "My cousin will be taking Ryujin from her."

"But, what about Kaida?"

No one answered him. Sukuna felt weak in his legs suddenly, he has never felt this before as he came to her side. His hand grasped on to hers. "What can I do?" he asked. "I… I can do something, can't I?"

Her fear suddenly melted away, she forced a smile as tears came down her face. "You stayed at my side, despite not being family… I appreciate that the most. Please… keep everyone safe for me?" she whispered.

He nodded to her. "I will, in your honor,"

Her hands went pale, the color drained from her face as her body suddenly went limp. Then… it burst into fire!

Sukuna stepped back as the flames drifted and then went through the necklace that the young cousin wore. She froze as the dragon left Kaida and went into her, her eyes rolled back as she collapsed, but was caught by Ryoto before she hit the ground.

Sukuna froze, all that remained of Kaida was the ashes left behind on the bed she once laid upon. "Why… why must it be like this?"

"The dragon is powerful, but only members of our family can contain him." Ryoto explained. "But, because of Ryujin, we are able to save many people. When we first came here, it was a joint effort wasn't it? You and Ryujin purged the curses from this land. Had it just been us alone… we would have all died and not have been able to complete the task."

It was a self sacrifice this family did. They knew the consequences and yet, they accepted it with open arms.

Kaida…

He couldn't understand this pain he felt. "Why does this hurt?" he asked. "I… haven't felt anything like this before."

Ryoto passed his cousin off to his uncle, she was carefully carried out of the room as Ryoto approached him and placed a gentle hand on his back. "Let's walk for a moment, I can explain."

#

They went into the mountains, the terrain so rugged, the locals don't dare to climb it. But it was here they could talk freely. "Sukuna, what you felt is a pain that everyone feels when they lose someone close. It's part of life, and that pain doesn't go away." He explained.

"It… doesn't?"

He shook his head to him. "She's gone, my sister… is dead and won't return to us, there is no jujutsu in this world that can bring her back. Especially when a dragon has possessed one," he said gently. "But take to heart, my sister saved a lot of people, because of her… we became friends didn't we?"

"We did?"

"Ryujin was heading to the Hida province anyway, we were to follow him to help the people there. Had we not agreed, we never would have found you."

He never saw it like that before.

"Ryujin said it was fate."

"It was, we are still friends aren't we?" Ryoto asked innocently.

Sukuna smiled and nodded. "Indeed we are, but… I feel this is greatly unfair to your family, to lose someone in such a manner…"

"It is still a warrior's death," Ryoto explained. "My sister died a warrior for the people, for this family. She will be honored as such."

It still hurt, more so than it should.

#

The territory grew under his influence.

Sukuna had also done something amazing for the people. The curse that has caused the droughts, famines and plagues was finally found, and it was returning to where it all happened. Why? Because of him. His curse energy has grown once more, and it has begun to attract powerful creatures again. He has learned to control it well, but this time, he was using it to end the reign of the curse that caused such harm!

It appeared in the dead of night, taking form of a dragon of all things. Sukuna stood at the ready with weapons in hand. He glared at the curse with anger, for it has caused such harm in his land. "It ends tonight!" he decreed.

The curse peered down at him, snickering. In a deep breath it belched out poisonous gas, it was enough to melt humans to their bones, and yet, when it dissipated, the grass was dead, yet Sukuna was not. He merely smirked back at the curse before landing his strikes. The spear went through its chest, arrows into its eyes as its head was cut cleaning off with a curse sword!

The beast was dead.

Yet the land around him was barren, nothing will grow here again, but he had another use for the land.

It took years, but he built a temple on top of the fallen curse beast. The people were in awe of his dedication and used it to pray there often. He named it Mino Kiyomizu, and was rather proud of it all and knew he could do anything if he put his mind to it.

#

People far and wide suddenly began to appear.

Rumors spread of his defeat of the 'dragon', people from surrounding areas had come to see Sukuna. "I heard he is a god that came to earth!"

"I heard he is a deity but doesn't want everyone to know, he is humble that way."

More and more people began to speak of him in such a manner, yet he never believed those words or allowed such rumors to spread. The Toorus also helped with that as well, explaining he was a very gifted sorcerer. "When one has more than two arms, they are twice as powerful, same with sorcery." Ryoto explained.

Some believed those words, other didn't, he was a god and they aimed to prove it!

Sukuna however, was aware of these actions, and took it upon himself to set the record straight as it were. He asked those who wished to worship him. "What are the qualifications to be a deity?" he asked.

They appeared confused. "You are one, you should know. A deity can never be harmed!"

He was surprised to such words, so he took a dagger and placed into the hands of the one who spoke. "Cut me," he said, "Nick my finger, do whatever you wish with the dagger, but inflict it upon my body."

The man smirked, he would show the world that the one before him is truly a god among men! He took the tip of the dagger and stabbed Sukuna in his stomach. He smiled as nothing happened, but then, blood began to pour from the wound. Instantly he stumbled back as the dagger dropped to the ground. Sukuna held the wound tightly before turning to the masses. "Does this prove I am no god?" he asked of them.

They nodded in shock. "Then… what are you? You are a monster!"

He froze.

A monster… he hasn't been called that since he was a child. "I…"

"You dare insult the lord of this land!" shouted Ryoto. Those who gathered were stunned.

A woman shouted. "You follow a monster! There is no man in this world that looks as he does! If he were a god, yes that is understandable, but for someone to claim they are a man and yet look…"

"Silence!" Ryoto snapped. "Be… silent…"

Never has he seen rage come over his dear friend. Ryoto was always a happy go lucky person, nothing phased him. Yet, those who began to insult Sukuna, a different side of him appeared. "You speak ill of the lord of this land, I am aware you are the people to the North of us, who had struggled three years ago with tainted water… are you unaware that the reason you drink clean water again, is because of him!" he demanded.

Some of them stammered. "But… HE'S the one who poisoned it!"

Suddenly, curse energy began to surge. Ryoto began to grow angrier by the moment. "Your water was unsafe to drink for many years, long before he or myself were even born. We are the same age!" he snapped back. "You dare insult us again, we will not help you in your time of need. All of you, are banished!"

They were stunned. "You can't do that!"

"But I can," Sukuna said. "And I agree, insults shall not stand, nor will I be the one to bare the sins of the past that are not of my doing!" he roared.

His voice resonated, people went weak in the knees from the pressure alone. "As he said, you are all banished, be gone now."

They sneered at the notion, but they knew better than to argue. Yet the man who stabbed him paused. "You are but a man, so you can be killed." He said with a smug tone in his voice.

"Did you just threaten him?" Ryoto demanded. "If you have, that is punishment worthy of death! You have threatened another's life with words!"

This man suddenly surged with curse energy of his own. "I am a guard to the emperor! What will you do now, boy?" he demanded.

Ryoto was charging himself up as well, yet, Sukuna placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let him go, it's not worth it."

"See, even a fake lord of the land knows better!"

Swish.

Sukuna moved a single finger.

The man who laughed suddenly stopped as he felt a sting sensation come over his cheeks. Both of them had been cut!

But… he twitched his finger… how was that even possible?

The emperor's guard froze, as he suddenly appeared terrified of who stood before him. "My only warning to you and others who think as you do. Be gone,"

They left quickly, many could leave fast enough, Sukuna then turned to his stab wound, but saw Ryoto already healing him. "I am more than capable…"

"Enough, let me at least do this, I couldn't defend your name."

He was stunned by Ryoto's reaction, but he was also grateful for it. As time and time again, the Toorus only step in when necessary. They also help calm or make other consider their next words carefully.

#

Word soon spread to the Emperor of this strange lord of the Hida province. The emperor himself wanted this matter solved, despite the fact that the people have credited him for resolving the issue of the lands, it wasn't sitting well that the people have started to turn to the deformed child for help now! The sorcerers he sent to investigate returned some time ago, explaining that the child has great promise and phenomenal power. However, they are unable to convince him to return with them.

"He is safeguarded by a greedy clan called the Toorus, they have all gathered around him as his vanguard. No doubt they seek to control him for their own gain, my emperor."

Yet the emperor was wise to this, he understood how people would gather their strengths in such a manner, it's how he controls the sorcerers currently. "You say that this… deformed child has been training his people?" he asked.

"Indeed, the women are versed in combat, but we have learned that he is able to awaken curse abilities in people, he can make them into stronger sorcerers despite their commoner blood."

This… was interesting.

"Send a decree then, throughout the territories and to all lords of the lands, I want them to send two of their strongest men to me. I wish to see how powerful the people are in each region."

They paused to the decree, but saw the brilliance in it. Soon, the royal order went out and then reached the hands of Sukuna…

#

"Two of the strongest warriors are to go to the emperor to represent their lords? One a sorcerer, one an abled body." he read aloud.

Ryujin, who now resided in a young woman named Kayda… who ironically shares a similar name to her predecessor. He sat with her within the castle, yet Ryujin was in control. Her hair on fire and yet some of the more dragon like features have yet to come through, she is still young.

Ryujin paused as he thought over this order. "It appears they wish to see first hand how strong you have made your people, but there is already a problem isn't there?" he asked.

Sukuna nodded. "If my people are stronger than those that are send to the emperor, he will consider us a threat and would want to remove me and those who I have cared for…" he muttered.

Ryujin nodded. "So, what is one to do?"

He took a moment to think, two abled bodies huh? But then he smirked. "Ryujin, I do think I have a solution." He stated.

Ryujin smirked. "I thought you would, we will take care of things here. Rest assured."