Warnings for this chapter: minor gun violence, depictions of violence, minor description of impalement, character death, implied manipulation.
Gojo-sensei:
Yūji-chan: Gojo-sensei, when you come back from your mission, come by my estate. I have something to show you. Also, good luck!
Gojo-sensei: any reason?
Yūji-chan: hm. Yes, but I won't doubt that the higher-ups might be surveiling my phone. It'll be better to discuss in person.
Gojo-sensei: ok! see you then! :)
Yūji stares at the last text message with a blank expression. She looks up and stares at the silent Kento leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"I understand that you believe you must take the burden because I am a child." Yūji puts up her phone and glances away. "But you need to understand that I haven't been a child for 14 years. It's something that you won't like to admit, but it's an truthful fact."
"I am a 15 year old female born crazy who's biological parents tortured until her mind shattered. I am possessive and protective of those I've claimed as mine. I have, by definition, questionable morals. I have killed before, in self-defense, in cold-blood, for experimentation, and for revenge. I am a mother of eight children, seven of which are not by blood. I may be a child, but you can't treat me like one when the child Yūji has been completely shattered and destroyed," Yūji continues quietly, eyes narrowed in her anger.
"...you aren't experienced enough to deal with this. And you've grown attached to one of the culprits," Kento retorts calmly, making Yūji snarl as she whips her head towards him.
"I'm may not be experienced in jujutsu, but I'm experienced in fighting. More than you, I'm sure. And Junpei is a victim, not a culprit, and if you lay a single hand on him with the intent to harm, I'll rip your heart out," Yūji snarls before she starts walking out the hallway.
"You hate adults," Kento states the fact. Yūji stops walking right before the exit.
She relaxes her posture and turns her head. "I do. Some earn my respect and trust, and then I don't hate them anymore. Out of those, some I claim as mine. Junpei hates adults too. They weren't there for him or caused him pain, but he still isn't the the point where he wishes them all dead."
Yūji steps out of the hallway and leaves Kento alone. She stops right before closing the door.
"Don't overexert your injury, Nanamin. I don't want you to hide any pain from me." She leaves a silent Kento to stew in his frustration and regret.
"Junpei," Yūji calls out softly, closing the gym doors behind her. "That awful boy didn't kill your mother."
A blank-faced Junpei stood on the stage, a giant jellyfish surrounding him as well as holding up a heavily injured teenager. "Stay out of this, jujutsu sorcerer."
"I will. But as your friend, I won't," Yūji answers with a soft smile. She starts walking through the knocked out students, ignoring the teacher fearfully crouched beside one.
"Don't–don't say that! You're not–how are you my friend?!" Junpei bursts out with a snarl. Yūji stops before the steps leading onto the stage and tilts her head, soft smile still on her face.
"It's never happened this quickly. The quickest I've ever became protective of someone... is one day." Yūji takes one step. Junpei scowls and makes a hand motion, the jellyfish surrounding him reaches out a tentacle and latches onto Yūji's arm.
"You managed to find a place in my heart in an hour. I care about you Junpei. Very much so. Even your mother, despite my hatred for adults, managed to be a part of those I care about." Yūji takes another step. Another tentacle latches on.
"These students, these adults hurt you. Traumatized you. A perfect reason to get revenge, but you're killing that boy for the wrong reason." Yūji gets on stage. Junpei takes multiple steps back, still scowling as tears start to form.
"He–he had to be the one who killed my mom! He has to be! Mahito–"
"That thing you're protecting, it goes against every blessing the gods have given this world. It was the one who killed your mother. It tried to do kill Nagi-san with a cursed object, but I took it when I left your home so it wouldn't do harm," Yūji interrupts with a small frown. Junpei shakes his head and glares heavily at Yūji.
"Orizuki!" The jellyfish grows bigger and stops Yūji from walking any further. "He's my first friend! He wouldn't do that! He helped me! Stop lying!"
Yūji's eyes darken at being called a liar. "Junpei. I'm not, nor have I ever been, a liar. Mahito is manipulating you. Curses don't care about humans, Junpei."
"No! No he's–no he's not!"
"Junpei. You know the signs of a manipulator, personally. Junpei, please... I hate to see those I love hurt," Yūji forces herself to walk further. Junpei releases a sob and races out of the gym. Yūji sighs softly and rushes after the 14 year old.
"Junpei!" Yūji ignores how Orizuki tries to restrain her and quickly catches up with Junpei. She stops in front of the sobbing 14 year old and slowly kneels down.
"Junpei... Junpei look at me," Yūji says softly, gently lifting Junpei's head up to stare into her eyes. Orizuki has calmed down and now only hugs around Yūji like a poisonous blanket.
"You're life has been harsh, and the one you always relied on, Nagi-san, was killed. I'm not going to stop you from seeking revenge. I'd be a hypocrite if I did." Yūji gently caresses Junpei's cheeks and smiles kindly at the grieving boy.
"But if you're seeking revenge. Seek revenge from the right person. That awful boy didn't kill your mother. He caused a lot of harm to you, so I can't say he didn't deserve what you did to him now. Please Junpei. You've only known me for almost a week, but please trust me," Yūji continues as her eyes start to shimmer. She rapidly blinks her eyes to force the tears away. Junpei releases another sob and falls forward.
Yūji quickly hugs the brunette tightly to her with a sad smile. She rubs his back as she nuzzles his head with her own.
"Kāsan... Kāsan... she–" Junpei releases even more sobs and hugs Yūji back.
"Nagi-san was a beautiful, strong woman. She was a wonderful mother, Junpei, and she loved you dearly. She wanted the best for you and wanted you to explore life," Yūji speaks in a gentle tone of voice. "She'd want you to continue to explore, wouldn't she?"
"Y-Yūji... I–"
Yūji snaps her head up with a snarl when the wretched feeling explodes out from hiding. She surprises Junpei by pulling him closer towards her.
Minemineminemineminemine
"Nice to meet you..." Yūji growls even louder, taking a step back. Junpei makes a noise in surprise at the sudden movement away from the wretched curse.
"...vessel of Sukuna." The hair on the back of Yūji's neck stand on end.
FIGHTORFLIGHTFIGHTORFLIGHTFIGHTORFLIGHT
The pink haired teenager leaps away, avoiding a giant hand from smashing her and Junpei against the wall behind them.
"He dares call me by my name? Fool, he's nowhere near the level of strength for me to give him permission to call me by my name." Sukuna scowls, growling loudly.
"Mahito-san, you–"
"If you're going to call me his vessel, give him his proper title. He's the King of Curses," Yūji sneers heavily, quickly pulling Junpei behind her. She takes a deep breath and slowly releases it before turning her head.
"Junpei. I'm going to fight Mahito. I'm going to kill it. You can still fight, but please stay safe for me," Yūji says with a stern tone. She turns back around and widens her stance.
"You? Kill me? Ha! Being Sukuna's vessel must have really gone to your head!" Mahito giggles childishly, making the pink haired teenager scowl. She stays still for a moment before leaping forward.
Mahito takes a step back in surprise when Yūji suddenly appears in front of him. He doesn't even have time to block the punch before Yūji slams her cursed energy covered fist into his face. He's blown back and smashes through the wall. Mahito looks up with wide eyes when he suddenly sees Yūji jumping out of the new hole in the wall, pointing her foot down. She falls faster than the curse and slams her foot into his stomach.
"She–she can harm me! Her being–" Blood explodes out of Mahito's mouth as Yūji forces him to smash into the cement ground. The force of her kick makes the ground below them and around them break up and explode.
"This–impossible. You-" Yūji interrupts the curse by gripping his jaw. Mahito tenses heavily as his fight or flight instinct starts to go haywire in his mind. A dark feeling washes over the two of them, Yūji slowly lifting her head up.
"What is this feeling? This isn't Sukuna. Who–what is she?"
"You have a wretched soul, Mahito. And I have to make sure that once I kill you, you won't be brought into the next life." Mahito freezes in absolute terror at the burning slitted eyes searing into his own. "You hurt someone that's mine. And I'm going to make you suffer for that."
Mahito grins maniacally when he manages to complete his transformation. Spikes burst out of him, impaling Yūji through her stomach and her leg. Yūji grunts, but continues to glare at the curse.
Mahito sighs in annoyance, lifting his hand and resting it over Yūji's heart. "You can't beat me. Swap out already... with Sukuna."
"Idle Transfiguration."
Mahito gasps in shock, eyes wide. Yūji hears the familiar drop of water before she blinks, suddenly appearing onto Sukuna's lap, one of his hands wrapped securely around her waist. She glances around before noticing Mahito kneeling on the ground below them.
"You dare touch my soul? I'll kill you right here for disrespecting your king," Sukuna sneers, raising a hand. Yūji gently places a hand on his arm, glaring down at the terrified curse.
"He needs to know his place before he dies. Let me make him suffer," Yūji says calmly, looking up at Sukuna. Sukuna stares down at her before grinning maniacally. One of his other hands wrap around her neck from behind and gently tilts her head back.
"Hm... my little vessel." Yūji blinks again and she's suddenly back in reality. "Do so then. I love a good show."
10 year old Yūji walks through the crowded streets of Sendai. She calmly looks around with a blank smile.
"Itadori-hime... We really should be going back. Itadori-sama will be angry with me if anything happens to you..." Some random new bodyguard assigned to her says nervously, making the young girl stare up at him with blank eyes. He lifts his head up to avoid the incredibly unnerving gaze.
Yūji sighs softly before focusing on the path ahead of them. Something suddenly runs into her vision. She doesn't stop the blur that tackles her, accepting the fall with a curious stare.
It was a three year old boy holding a loaf of bread. He had blonde hair matted and dirty, striking blue eyes surrounded by dark bruises, and pale skin covered in dirt. Yūji tilts her head, staring into the terrified eyes of the young boy.
"S-s-sorry..." The boy struggles to speak, making Yūji hum. She slowly stands up, ignoring her fussing bodyguard and lowers a hand towards the boy.
"Need help?" Yūji asks with a soft, genuine smile. The boy looks up with wide eyes, leaning away from the hand.
"Itadori-hime... he's a street rat... you shouldn't touch him," The bodyguard states with a nervous smile, slowly reaching out a hand to grab Yūji's wrist.
Yūji turns her head and gives him a dark glare. "Don't touch me."
The bodyguard flinches back and pulls back his hand as if he burnt it. Yūji smirks in satisfaction before focusing back on the terrified boy. He stares at her for a moment longer and hesitantly reaches out his hand. The pink and black haired girl smiles brightly when the boy grabs her hand while she helps him up.
"What's your name?"
"...R-Ryūya..." The boy manages to speak up, voice barely above a whisper.
"My name's Yūji. Are you hungry? I'm about to go home," Yūji asks with a head tilt. Before Ryūya could answer, Yūji pulls him to her and takes a step back, missing a bullet.
Yūji looks up with a blank expression when the gunshot rings out. She stares straight at the woman who shot at her.
"Itadori-hime!" The bodyguard attempts to rush forward, only to get a bullet through his head. Yūji glances at his collapsed body with an indifferent expression before looking back at Ryūya.
"Are you hungry?" Yūji asks again, making the three year old look up at her in complete terror. He huddles closer to her with a whimper when another gunshot rings out through the panicked screams of the crowd. Yūji frowns before looking up, the bullet grazing her cheek.
"Kill the Itadori brat!" The woman screeches out, shooting her gun again. It misses as five people appear out of nowhere
"You're scaring Ryūya-chan." Yūji snaps her fingers and multiple gunshots echo loudly through the streets. The five people and the woman quickly go down. A small splatter of blood gets on Yūji and Ryūya.
"Yūji-sama!" The 10 year old glances back at the loud shout from Chisato. She smiles brightly and waves at her housekeeper.
"Asai-san! Ryūya-chan's hungry! Can we go home and feed him?" Yūji asks brightly as she grabs the younger boy's hand and starts running over to the housekeeper. Chisato sighs heavily and glances down at the obviously malnourished Ryūya.
"Of course. Can he be... cleaned before he eats? I doubt you would want him to get sick," Chisato answers with a small twitch of disgust. Yūji tilts her head before glancing down at a still terrified Ryūya.
"Do you want to go?"
"S-scary people..." Ryūya points at the now dead culprits of his terror. Yūji smiles softly and ruffles his hair, not bothered by the dirt literally shaking out of his hair by the motion.
"They can't hurt you with me here. Asai-san, will you have Murata-san search for where Ryūya-chan lives?" Yūji looks back up at her housekeeper.
Chisato hums and gives a small bow. "Of course, Yūji-sama. Please, right this way."
Itadori Ryūya. Yūji's first child she kept for herself.
Yūji reaches her hands out and grips both sides of Mahito's face. "You heard Sukuna."
She slams her face into the curse's with a wide grin. Blood explodes from Mahito's face before he quickly heals the wound. Yūji lifts her head again before slamming back down. Her head manages to go through Mahito's, creating a giant crater beneath them when it hits the ground.
"I'm going to make you suffer before you die," Yūji hisses as she jumps up, forcing blood to explode out when the spikes are roughly pulled out. She maneuvers herself to raise her leg again. She kicks Mahito's head like a football, making a giant shockwave. The curse suddenly flies towards the direction of the shockwave, slamming into the school.
Yūji takes a deep breath, calming her anger. She suddenly leaps forward, raising a fist. Cursed energy surrounds it in a ghostly blue glow, getting brighter and brighter as Yūji gets closer.
Yūji blinks in surprise when her fist smashes through the wall. "You're fast, curse."
The pink haired teenager turns her head, seeing a giant club instead of one of Mahito's hands. She rips her fist out of the wall and turns around. Mahito laughs maniacally and lifts the club.
"Switch out with Sukuna!" Yūji pulls up her arms to block the hit, only for a blur to appears before it hits. Yūji stares with wide eyes as Kento attacks Mahito's.
"Nanamin?!"
"I'll lecture you later." Kento lowers his sword. "Tell me the situation."
"Junpei's safe and the students are unconscious in the gym," Yūji states calmly, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth.
"Selfless too? You are one weird slut," Sukuna states, incredibly amused.
"Tell me your physical state first," Kento clarifies calmly. Yūji places a hand on her hip and gives the blonde man a deadpan expression.
"I'm fine, Nanamin. I just got impaled. Nothing too serious."
"That's not fine," Kento mutters to himself, frustration in his tone. Yūji blinks in surprise at the first sign of emotion other than calm coming from the blonde man.
"Hey, you're alive and well, 7:3 sorcerer!" Mahito starts to transform his other hand after the right one changes back to normal. "Glad to see we both survived. Shall we share a hug, in celebration of our reunion?"
"Yūji-kun, why is his nose bleeding?" Kento asks, making Yūji look up at him with wide eyes.
"I punched it through a wall," Yūji answers simply, glancing back at a grinning Mahito.
"When?"
"When do you think? At the start of our fight."
"Did his hand touch you?" Kento asks seriously, making Yūji smile. Her eyes grow dark as she continues to stare at Mahito.
"Yes. Sukuna didn't like it that such an inferior curse touched his soul," Yūji comments, stifling a giggle.
"My attacks won't work on him."
Yūji smiles with a hum and takes a step forward. "I expected so. Normal humans are usually unable to comprehend the ability of harming a soul directly."
"Don't worry, Nanamin," Yūji continues as she takes another step while stretching her arm, "This curse is going to die by my hand."
"A human like you can do nothing to me!" Mahito laughs out, grinning even wider. The dark feeling flickers to life again, Yūji tilting her head.
A giggle escapes her throat. She covers her mouth as the giggle becomes a laugh. Mahito takes a step back with a terrified gasp, still grinning. The laugh turns into a full-blown cackle, the dark feeling increasing even more.
"Mahito, is it?" Yūji lifts her head, revealing frostbitten gold eyes and a cold grin. She crackles her knuckles with a head tilt.
"I can do anything I like to you! Hurting Nanamin, killing Nagi-san... manipulating Junpei... you've given the Gods more than enough to allow me the right to make you suffer," Yūji continues brightly. Her grin grows even wider as she releases her hold on her self-control.
"My little vessel. Oh, you are beautiful!" Sukuna compliments with an insane grin. He laughs darkly and Yūji feels a phantom hand curling around her neck.
"You–you're just a vessel!" Mahito shouts, transforming his arm into a blade. Yūji suddenly flickers in front of him, grabbing both sides of his head as she presses her feet into his chest.
"I am a vessel, but I am also something that a little curse like you can't comprehend." Yūji leans her head closer, her cold grin still in place. "I'm a God Slayer."
Mahito stares at her with confusion and fear before the pink haired teenager pulls his head back. She laughs as she knees him in the face, covering her knee with cursed energy. Blood splatters on Yūji, making her grin wider.
Yūji pulls back her fist and slams it into his head. Mahito falls to the ground, but Yūji quickly kicks his side, making him fly up into the air. She pulls back her fist and laughs again.
"I haven't been this angry since Keigo." Yūji punches Mahito and makes him slam into the ground. "I'm going to have fun with this curse."
Itadori Yūji. Before he had come back to the jujutsu world, Kento vaguely knew of the name. Immensely vaguely.
Yūji was the heir apparent of a business conglomerate. Which one, Kento didn't pay attention long enough in the conversations to find out. He knew a bit more of the Itadori name, though. At least, what they owned. They owned one of the competitors of the absolutely foolish company he regrets ever working for. A few months after he left, he couldn't help but feel immense glee and satisfaction when the company got overpowered by the competitor.
He has the smallest bit of regret for not paying closer attention to conversations that focused on Yūji. It would have probably given him a bit more time to prepare to whatever the fuck Yūji is.
Crazy, kind, selfless, supernaturally strong, possessive, intelligent, genuine, beautiful, broken beyond repair, traumatized, a child. Not to mention the off feeling surrounding Yūji ever since the moment he met the child.
That off feeling... it was something he never felt before. It was something that didn't pertain to cursed energy. It was something... unknown. Or at least, unknown to Kento. And unknown to Satoru.
Then, Yūji reveals her incredible hatred for adults and a vague description of the horror she was forced to live through. That off feeling became clearer. It saddened Kento greatly that a child so kind and selfless was traumatized and shattered beyond repair by the adults meant to care and protect her. It saddened him that a person so beautiful was tortured to complete insanity.
Today, Kento has no idea what that off feeling is. It was... dark. Not necessarily bad, he could tell that much, but it was dark. It... Kento for a single moment almost kneeled down when it flickered into its power before he got ahold of his bearings.
There has never, never been a time in his entire life that a presence almost caused him to submit himself to it. Never.
"Gojo's going to be so upset," Kento thinks in a small amount of amusement and a majority amount of shock. He watches an unhinged Yūji toy with an unregistered special-grade curse. Though, Kento could tell Yūji hasn't snapped yet. She just released her worrying large amount of self-control.
"To–to taint a blessing of Izanagi-no-Mikoto so easily... I refuse to allow something so weak compared to the ancient ones, destroy the sanctity of mortality. It goes against the duty of my blood." Kento blinks in slight realization as he remembers the odd statement Yūji had made a few days ago.
Kento's eyes widen when he sees Mahito unhinge his jaw. He sees four small hands making two symbols. Fear for Yūji courses through his veins. She doesn't know about Domain Expansions yet.
"Yūji-kun! Look out!" Kento races forward without thinking, the pink haired teenager whipping her head at the slightly panicked shout. Yūji whips her back towards Mahito when the cursed energy around him flares up.
"Domain Expansion..."
"NANAM–" Yūji jumps back when large hands form out of cursed energy. Kento blocks his face as the hands surround him.
"Self-Embodiment of Perfection!"
Kento stares straight at a manic and cheerful Mahito as the domain forms around them. "Shit."
"Right now I'm just..." Kento relaxes slightly in relief when he doesn't see Yūji. "...grateful to you."
Hey! Hope you all like the new chapter! I feel like it's a bit rushed, I really don't know, but I still hope you all like it!
Also, slightly unhinged Yūji?? Yes, please! I didn't show much of how unhinged and feral Yūji can get, but don't worry. You'll get more soon.
EEEEE. We're getting to a good part! It'll be next chapter and I am so excited and also, for the chapter after that! Yay!
I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Bye.
WhovianWhoudini