The Cursed Lovers
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A 'Jujutsu Kaisen' Fanfiction
Sukuna x fem!Megumi
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Summary:
Being born a woman and daughter of the most hated member of the Zen'in family, Megumi was undervalued by her own flesh-and-blood all her life. When she is finally brave enough to fight for herself, she decides to capture The King of Curse, Ryoumen Sukuna, to prove her self-worth. Will the God of Victory side with her?
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CW: Women empowerment. Suicides. Misogynistic patriarchies. Discriminations. Gore. NSFW (on future chapters).
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Chapter 1:
Play with Fire
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"If you're ready to dance with the devil, you better stay there when he brings you hell."
Ryan Bergara
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Megumi's PoV
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My father, Zen'in Toji, was the most potent and most talented Sorcerer Killer in all Jujutsu Society history. Despite having no curse energy at all, he could still fight in equal standing with the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer alive, Gojo Satoru. He could even win if that albino freak hadn't blown up half of his body.
My father could be a decent person, a proper father–only if he didn't lose his mind after my mother's death and crawled back to his family's house that clearly despised him. My father could be a legend, someone who brings fame and pride to the whole Zen'in household–only if his talent and power came from the only thing they know where to come: cursed energy, which I explained earlier, he has none.
He was seen as an abomination just because he has no curse energy yet could still beat some curses ass, and could even topple down the Zen'in long-standing hierarchy if he wants to. Those motherfuckers are only jealous of my father, and they would rather die in flames than admit that they are below someone born from an error in gene mutation.
They hated him more when they knew that his youngest daughter, a.k.a. me, got that super rare Ten Shadows Technique that only passed down the Zen'in line every thousand years. Had my father still been exiled, they would beg arms and legs for me to join the family. But that fool of a father rejoined by his own volition out of desperation, and now me and my sister, Tsumiki, have to figure out a million ways to kiss their asses after he is gone.
Compared to me, who at least they could use as the next generation of their Jujutsu sorcerer-slash-mercenary to pile up their money and pride, life was harder for my sister who has none of the curse energy. She couldn't even feel a single shit. She was totally a normal human; thus, in the Zen'in's eyes, her worth was nothing more than a serving lady or, worse case, a mere bargaining chip for diplomatic marriage.
Me and my sister, Tsumiki, could at least have a less traumatic childhood if we were, say, adopted by the Gojo family out of guilt and pity, instead of being taken care of by the very family that has abandoned, used, and exploited our father to his death.
And now they did the same thing to her.
Tsumiki's smiling face in the photograph was so beautiful and full of life, fresh and sweet. Meanwhile, her face that I've seen on days leading to her suicide was pale, crooked, tormented, full of pain, with dried tear lines across her cheeks. It pains me to remember her like that, but seeing her photograph taken two years ago on the altar above her casket, with lilies and daisies all around it, is somehow upsetting me more.
She doesn't 'rest in peace', or whatever. She died in pain. Even in her last moments, she cried rivers while saying sorry. She was apologizing to me for giving up on her life and left me, her little sister, in the hands of a family that neither of us trusted or wanted. She apologized that she didn't have enough strength to protect me in this cruel, wicked world. She apologized that her existence didn't have any meaning at all.
Of course, I denied that. Who in their right mind would agree with someone's self-pity while they're slitting their arms and neck with a blade? But I couldn't put her blood back into her body. I couldn't give her any reason to fight, to survive if she was already given up on herself. The only thing I could do was cry and beg for someone to call an ambulance, or at least help me bandage her wounds, or whatever. But none of the Zen'ins, none, would actually lend me a hand. They just stared at the open door, looking down at me like some kind of wild animal in its cage.
Even Mai, my aunt, the only one I could bear to talk to in this house, turned her face away when our eyes met, as if her sadness was more significant than my grief.
Now a day and a night have passed since then. I'm standing alone before my sister's small altar, trails of dried tears on my face, still wondering what just happened with my life.
The other Zen'ins only come here for formalities. They don't really care about my sister. For them, instead, her death only means one less mouth to feed, one less room to use, one less space to occupy. And for Naoya especially, the head of the Zen'in, one less woman to harass.
I looked at his expressionless face as he came before her coffin. To my surprise, his serpent mouth doesn't say anything. He just goes away after a whole one minute, leaving his wife-slash-cousin, Mai, alone with me in the room.
"I'm so sorry, Megumi," she said, standing full of agitation behind me.
"No, you're not," I said, sharp. "If you were, you would've helped her."
"You know I can't do that, Megumi…."
"Can't do what?!" Now I roared, facing her, face full of rage. "Helping your own flesh and blood? Of course, you can't! You're a fucking Zen'in! That sly fox's little slut who couldn't do anything without her master's permission! Why am I even surprised?"
"Megumi!" She slapped me across the face. From the corner of my eyes, I could see tears running down behind her dark-green hair. "I couldn't help you… I couldn't do anything to help her…" With a sharp inhale, she looks me in the eyes. "...because I'm pregnant."
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The Zen'in is practically notorious only for two reasons: first, the elite mercenary army, The Hei, trained and bred to support the cursed-user family members. And the second is their loyalty to old-schooled Japanese traditions. And when I say 'traditions,' it's not only the good and tolerable ones, like wearing a yukata on a daily basis or tea-ceremony once in a while. I'm talking about the toxic, suffocating strict hierarchy of power, that forever and always has been and will be dominated by men. Old, grumpy, Japanese men. Adding Naoya to the mix, who's only 35, is kind of revolutionary in itself cause typically, you need to be half a century or more to be the Head of Zen'in.
Anyway, that's not the point. The point is they adore men. Women born in the family were being looked at as failed products. If they don't have any use for the family, which usually involves using cursed energy, they'd be better off exiled or dead. Thinking back, I could understand why Tsumiki ended her life. And now, I could almost sympathize with Mai for all her decisions.
"Is it Naoya's?" I asked her after a long silence. We're now in my bedroom, with Mai smoking near the window. My hatred for the smoke and concern for the fetus aside, I could see the stress clouding her head and decided to stay silent.
She satirically chuckles. "I hope it wasn't. But you know I don't even have any interest in men. I won't even have sex with him if it's not for my own safety."
Mai was forced to marry Naoya, her ten-years-older cousin, after her twin sister, Maki, was exiled by the family and never heard from again. They said Mai has to 'pay compensation for what her sister does,' whatever that means. The marriage is only six months old, and now she's already having his baby.
And why is that a problem, you say?
"Is it really a girl?" I asked her again, watching her slowly inhale the grey smoke to her lungs.
"Yeah. I even went to the obstetricians twice. It's definitely a girl."
As she sighed out the grey smoke, I pondered the bitterness of calling an unborn human being as 'it'. "I assume that you don't wanna keep 'it'."
"I didn't, at first. I despise the father more than anything. I don't wanna see his face every time I see my child and end up hating 'her'. But, lately, I've come to a realization: this baby's not only his, but it's also mine. Mine. She's a part of me too. I definitely have a say in this. I know it sounds cruel, but I wanna keep her alive to piss him off." Then she chuckles. "Imagine being the misogynist fuck, the head of a patriarchist clan, and has a daughter as the firstborn. I want to raise her so good that she can beat her father's cocky ass and lead this family into a better future. I know what you're going to say, 'But, Mai, a child isn't a parent's tool for revenge'. Yes, you're right. But if that's the only reason to keep 'her' alive, I know that she would understand."
I gave her a side look. "I would never say that."
"Really?" She chuckles again.
"The only reason Toji kept me alive was to sell me to this wicked family. I hate him for that, sure. But looking at his perspective, I think I could understand. He has no choice. It's either selling me here so I could stay alive, or killing me so I wouldn't be living the same hell he does. Well, saying it out loud now, I don't know which one is actually kinder."
Mai looks at me in pity. "Anyway, about your sister ..." She took a moment to breathe in her smoke. "I couldn't help you save her because… I don't want to give Naoya another reason to kill the baby once he knows that it was a girl."
"You mean, if you helped me save Tsumiki, he would see you as a traitor who moves without his permission to save someone who doesn't even have any meaning in the family?"
"Yes."
"And it would make him hate you more. So when he knows about the baby, he would be less merciful toward it?"
"Exactly."
"You're sacrificing my sister for your child."
"I know, and I'm sorry. You have every reason to be mad at me. But just so you know, even if it's you, I'm not going to hesitate if I know you're going to hurt her."
"I would never. Killing innocence isn't what I stand for. If anything, I would even help you protect and raise her, so when she becomes the head, she could change this family forever."
Now she laughs. Loud and clear. "God saves the queen."
I chuckled. "Goddess saves the queen."
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It was strange how a nightmare woke me up in the middle of the night, with my head aching and my heart beating so fast that I could feel sweat running down my skin. I couldn't remember what I was dreaming about, but I felt so relieved to be back to reality. Thirst urged me to get out of the bed and dragged my feet down the dark, long hall to the kitchen.
No matter how disoriented or sleepy I am, I still make sure to make as little sound as possible. I could never let my guard down while living here. Who knows how many trained assassins are lurking behind the shadow, watching me right now? Those jealous assholes from Hei definitely would be more than happy to kill me and take my position as the current number one Jujutsu Sorcerer in the family.
And anyway, I've been accustomed to walking and living in the shadows all this time, so when I heard sounds of conversations from inside the kitchen, it's only my natural reaction to blend in the darkness.
"It is such a shame that she died. She had a pretty face and was quite useful around the house."
I sharpened my hearing and sank deeper into my Shadow Technique, watching two guys in black yukata from the corner of the room. The room lacks lighting except for the moonlight from a small window above the pantry, so it's not a big deal to slowly sneak upon them.
Those are the Hei bastards, Naoya's personal henchmen.
"Yeah, indeed. Well, at least we still got her sister. She's quite pretty too."
"Man, she's gorgeous. I've jerked off to her once. She has my ideal slender body."
I cringe in disgust—anger build-up inside me.
"You want to fuck her? Then hurry up cause I heard she will get matched with the head of Gojo."
"Really? Damn, that lucky bastard. He already got the look, the power, and the money. Now he wants our girl? No way."
"Well, it can't be helped now, since the older sister is dead."
"Wait, isn't the head of Gojo the one who killed their father? Man, that would be fucking cruel."
"Yeah, but imagine the money and influence this family would get if they get married. Better use the guilt and shame of the Gojo for our advantage as long as it stands."
"Then, I'd better hurry to fuck her. I wouldn't stand a chance once she's engaged with the Go–"
A knife pierces through his throat from behind, squirting blood in all directions when I dragged it across his neck until his head is just hanging by the skin on his shoulders. I whisper, "You wouldn't stand a chance to begin with, anyway."
Once his body fell to the floor, I moved my eyes to the other man, who's now incapacitated by the strong coil of Orochi, my serpent shikigami. I step over the beheaded body to get closer to him, and said, "I don't like getting approached by weak men." And with one swift hand sign, drop him into my domain expansion, Chimera Shadow Garden, through his own shadow on the floor. "People like you disgust me."
Then I follow him down the Garden, with the dead body behind me, leaving no trace of their existence behind. Not even a single drop of blood.
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Morning comes with the screaming of the guards on duty. It doesn't take long for all the Hei to be crowding around the front gate, where two headless bodies of their comrades are hanging upside-down by their ankles. Pools of blood created right below them, reflecting the soft morning sun to the horror faces of the elders who come to see what the commotion is about. And even Naoya himself, who is usually too out of this world to care, for this once is actually showing his interest.
An immediate meeting was held in the conference room. All of the elders, the captains of Hei, and Naoya as the head of the clan, gathered in a circle on the tatami floor. Suggestions and discussions fill the room. Who's done it? What's the motive? How did they do it? The cut in both necks was precise, sliced through the bone in one big swoop. Whoever did it, knows what they're doing.
And they are.
As the women of the clan, Mai and I were only there for formality. Nobody ever actually asks for our opinion, and even if they did, they would never consider any of it. They let us sit on the far back of the room, away in the darkness. What is the point of us here? I would never know.
I intended to continue my sleep that was interrupted by this sudden meeting, when one of them said, "Was it the Gojo? They use Toji's daughter's death as a chance to attack because they know we would bring our guard down?"
And I fucking laugh.
Everyone fell to silence immediately as they turned their heads my way, staring at me with puzzled and disgusted looks while I used up all my breath to laugh my ass off.
"Megumi! What's so funny?" shouts one of the elders, but I still couldn't get ahold of myself.
"Fucking crazy bitch," said Naoya, too loud to be considered a mumble. "Now, she lost herself after her sister died. Fucking weak."
I immediately stopped my laugher. "What were you saying? The Gojo attacked us because you dickheads put your guards down after Tsumiki's death? HAHAHA! THAT'S THE FUNNIEST SHIT! You assholes don't even remember how to pronounce her name, and yet you dare to say that you actually fucking mourn her?! And somehow still able to blame her for your own incompetencies? Fucking hypocrite." And I lost myself again in another set of laughter. Mai, who sat right beside me, wasn't subtle anymore when she was tugging my clothes to warn me to shut up.
But I won't.
"You assholes so fucking afraid with the Gojo that you immediately blame every bad shit that happened in this fucking family to them! You don't even put any suspicion on your own comrades! Who knows, maybe those headless bastards outside lost their heads because they were stupid enough to pick a fight with the wrong person here, thinking that no way anyone would ever rebel against them because they're the all-high-and-mighty Hei souldiers?"
Now Naoya stands, points, and shouts back at me, "Stop spouting nonsense, you whore! Who dares to mess with the Hei, with the Zen'in, with us?! Loyalty is everything for us, and you should've known–"
"It was me."
A loud gasp fills the room. Naoya froze with his jaw falling to the floor. "W-what?"
"It was me," I repeated. "I killed them."
Fear and mockery blend in on his face. "Haha, that's no way–"
I stand up and open a shadow portal from below my feet. Both my black and white Divine Dogs materialized along with the severed heads of the Hei souldiers, hanging low from each of their jaws. With one wave of my hand, they throw the heads away to the center of the room. Everyone, once more, makes a loud gasp.
It's delightful to see their reactions.
"You traitor bitch!" In a swift second, I am already surrounded by dozens of katanas, with their tips heading my way. Naoya and the elders are even already in their positions to use their curse technique. "You're so cocky even though you were born from a total disgrace. You are nothing without us! We gave you money and your life, you remember? Without us, you'd be a slut in the street with your sister!"
"That would be a thousand times better than bowing down to you dogs."
I see one of the katanas swing its way to me in a split second from the corner of my eyes. I raised my hand immediately, releasing the Divine Dogs into a feral state that made them instantly attack the Hei soldier.
Before I could summon another shikigami, Naoya's voice pierced through the air, commanding them not to move.
"What the hell do you want, niece? Is it just grievance that makes you behave like this?" He strides towards me with his hands in the air. When he's right before me, he sticks out his hand to touch my face. "You are usually so calm and collected. It's not you, Megumi."
I grip back his hand, chuckling. "You know nothing about me, Naoya. If you do, you won't dare to touch me like this." I twisted his arm and locked him from behind with one swift move. He screams in pain out of reaction. But before everyone in the room could move, he cried again for them to stop.
"What the fuck do you want, bitch?" he said between the grits in his teeth.
I crouch lower, whispering in his ear, "Your title. Your privilege. Your position."
"Ha! A woman would never have them!"
I tighten my grip on his arms, pulling them far apart. He squeaks in pain again.
"You bet."
"Okay, then let's bet!" he said with confidence. "Let's see… If you can capture The King of Curses, my title is yours!"
Everyone in the room makes a loud gasp once more, still doesn't dare to move.
I smirked and threw him away to the floor. "Deal."
While Naoya squirmed on the floor and the rest of Zen'in rushed to his side to help him, I condescendingly looked down on him. "Don't you even dare to manipulate me, Naoya."
And with that, I let my Shadow Technique engulf me in darkness, taking me to my domain expansion.
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TO BE CONTINUE
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Author's Note:
Hi! Nice to meet you, I'm Lee Audrey! I'm a SukuFushi/SukuMegu maniac, and this is my first SukuFushi proper fanfiction that I wrote. If you want to see my idea scribbles, you can visit my Twitter: /ladyambrose02 (without the slash).
If you're reading this far, I want to assume that you like the agendas that I bring with this fic. Feral female Megumi for the win, yes.
For this first chapter, we haven't met with Sukuna yet. He will appear in the next chapter, though. Is it gonna be a slow-burn romance? Enemy-to-lovers vibe? Let's see!
Lots of love,
(Dec 17th, 2021)
L.A.
