Chapter 37
The attacks wouldn't stop.
Sukuna began to believe this was no longer a coincidence.
Gathering the Tooru family he wanted to know the answer to it all. "We are dealing with more and more curses, why?!" he demanded.
"We think it's Ryujin, they sense his vessel is weak and are aiming to take him out. But I have noticed something odd about the curses too. The way they are attacking, it's not a blind rage they go into, and they are methodical and picking off those who are deemed a threat to them. Some of our most promising sorcerers have been taken out on purpose. As well, there is something you should be made aware of…" Ryoto said grimly.
Sukuna paused. He didn't like the tone. "Is it Kayda?"
He shook his head to him. "We had set two of our most promising sorcerers out to other regions for trade… they never came back. Just recently, we found their bodies dropped off at the edge of the village, stating 'we won't let you build your army' the note was written in their blood."
No one moved. His face remained too calm for their liking, but then his arms trembled with rage, his energy began to flair as the look of hatred came over his face. "It IS them!" he roared in anger. "What is their problem? HOW DARE THEY ATTACK MY PEOPLE, MY HOME! MY FAMILY!" he shouted.
He only settled when Chusi took hold of his hand. It took a full day for her to recover from making the domain, but even now she wouldn't be much use in a fight. Her body suffered with a backlash of it. "Ryomen…" she said gently. "People fear what they don't understand."
"We must tread carefully, no doubt this is the council at work or someone trying to force a war. We are playing into their hands, just like mother use to say. Never battled an idiot, they will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience."
"People fear what is stronger than themselves!"
They paused to a new voice, one of the sorcerers they took in a while ago spoke with a sharp tongue. "Lord Sukuna, why are you allowing them to attack you like this? FIGHT BACK!" he decreed.
"You have no idea how things work!" Ryoto snapped back. "We strike back, we have no idea who our enemy is! What if this is a ploy? Someone is using another side to strike us down when they themselves have no idea..."
"Cut the bullshit!" the man snapped back. "This is all a ploy to get to Sukuna, thinking he is too soft and weak to lash back. I say the time of being nice ends. We ought to take revenge for the fallen!"
Ryoto disagreed, but the more this man spoke, the more Sukuna agreed with him. Yet, he also know that is putting his people in danger. "Let's find the source of this, and see if we can end it. If not… then we go to war."
The table sighed aloud, yet it was the only call that could be made at this point.
#
Sukuna left the room on his own, yet, he sensed he was being followed. Slowly, he turned and saw the sorcerer who spoke out, but he wasn't alone either. "You are holding yourself back for their sake?"
He didn't answer them.
"Master, you need to understand…"
"I didn't ask for your council," he snapped back. "What it to you anyways?"
There were four of them, but there was something about them that nearly felt familiar to him.
"Master, we are only looking out for your well being. You are a tremendously powerful; it is the very reason why you are being attacked. They continue to attack for they believe you are too weak to retaliate!"
He sneered at the notion, it all sounded too true to his ears. No one believes he is a threat until they see him in battle. "What are you suggesting?"
"Of course we take down whoever is causing your people to suffer, but at the same time, once we find out, we counter attack!"
It wasn't a bad notion, but still, a counter attack doesn't sit well with him for the time being. He is to be wed soon, Kayda is dying, and they cannot go to war with her in such a state, as well, his people…
"Master, let us accompany you… we will help you rid this world of those who seek to harm your land and people…"
He sighed aloud and nodded. "Very well then, we leave immediately."
He nearly turned back, for he swore, he saw greedy grins come over their faces…
#
They ventured off the village lands, to here the hoards have gathered. Another appeared to be forming and was about to come right for them once more. "NOW!" one sorcerer shouted.
He didn't hesitate as he erased the soon to be forming hoard, yet, something didn't feel right. He smelt blood instantly, then, the sound of bodies dropping became rather confusing. He knows what a curse sounds like when it dies, how its flesh is cut up. But this…
A pit formed in his gut.
The fog cleared, what was gathering curse energy… was merely a veil of it. Hidden behind it, were guard to the emperor and those of the jujutsu council. "There's no choice now…"
Sukuna sighed, it was all true. Yet, if he goes to war…
"Ryomen Sukuna, you have declared war upon the jujutsu society and the emperor himself!"
He froze as he turned to the four that followed him. They…
His eyes widened in anger, he seethed with rage as he wanted to lash out against them! But…
To hell with it.
They four smirked wickedly. "Wait until we return…"
Splat.
Their heads came clean off their shoulders, and yet the curse energy they dispelled only meant it would reach those who they intended on contacting. Either way, he just sentenced his village to death.
Rushing back, he had to tell Ryoto what happened. The moment he explained everything, his friend sighed aloud. "They are already gathering in the other regions. They will be here soon, they must have been waiting for this. Ryomen…"
But paused as a raven came overhead. It landed on Ryoto's arm and bared a message. He took it from the raven and set it off again. He read it but sighed aloud. "The king wishes to have an audience with you, about recent actions along with the jujutsu council…"
He sneered at the notion, but if it will bring peace, he will listen to them. "Very well then,"
