Chapter 16

His head pounded.

Yet Fushiguro was the first to come too. "Huh? What…" he muttered.

"Called it,"

He jumped as he heard Suiryu's voice. Looking about, Megumi found Yuuji nowhere in sight. "Itadori…"

"He's fine," Suiryu insisted. "He's actually a little farther down the alley here getting a drink. He didn't want people to see him suckle from a bottle."

Megumi slowly got to his feet, just as Nobara came too. "Ugh, what the hell happened?" she said with a moan.

"Divine veil." Suiryu explained. "People disappear in it, as if they are frozen in time. Everything returns to normal the moment the veil is lifted. Curse users fall asleep, curses… are out cold for the next while…" he said as his eyes casted down to Junpei. "How do we bring him back without people staring at us?"

"I got an idea…" Megumi contorted his shadow, from there he eased Junpei into it. He vanished without a trace, but it would be the more effective way of bringing him back home.

Yuuji rejoined them, he looked rather satisfied and licked his lips to his meal. "Ugh, still don't know how you can drink that… it smells terrible!" Nobara said.

"It's dragon milk, deal with it, it's the only thing he can eat." Scolded Fushiguro.

"We better get back and let Satoru know of this. Whoever is after Yuuji is really stepping up their game, not to mention, the divine are going to try and get him before a bounty hunters do." Suiryu stated.

#

"How could you have failed?! Where are the legions!"

The blond divine users was forced to retreat. After being stuck by the transport truck, he came too outside of the city limits. However, what just occurred made little sense to him.

"We failed to see how crafty the boy is, none of my legions saw him let alone heard him when we had the veil casted. Yet, my main concern is the one they called Suiryu." He explained. "Somehow, he passed the veil without issue, he was able to dispel divine mist with ease and use his own curse power within. The basilisk curse we received from our allies has been taken as well by this Suiryu, person… we are aware that he came from Sukuna, correct?"

"He has, however, claims to be the brother of the demon vessel. At the same time, he has put a taboo on his face. He is a well known model as well as rock star to the humans… but this creature defiantly came from Sukuna"

There were murmurs heard. "What else have you learned?"

"The one named Suiryu… is favored by a dragon, he bares its mark on his right ear, and he wears the pendent of the Tooru family. Must have stolen it off one of their corpses. I know for a fact that the Tooru family died out years and years ago."

"Rumor has it one did survive… yet I tend to believe that this Suiryu did indeed steal the family heirloom off of the Tooru family. I wouldn't put it past him to rob the dead."

The blond suddenly smiled. "Then perhaps we need to use the humans to gain at least one thing. We need that pendent do we not? Then let's use his human activities to our advantage. After all, I too am a model but 'retired' just six years ago…"

Smiles spread on the faces of the divine elders. They nodded in agreement to the notion and insisted that he get started sooner than later. "We do not know how fast a baby dragon grows, we need that boy here sooner than later. Do what you can."

#

The next day…

Suiryu wondered to the studio once more, yet he found a crowd has gathered oddly enough. "What the hell is this?" he muttered.

He peered through the masses and saw him. A moment of pause came over Suiryu as the bastard who tried to kidnap Yuuji was now standing before him with an entourage of his own.

Yet as he was about to get a closer look, he felt someone grab his arm and pull him back and away. He didn't know why he allowed such a thing, but when he finally turned to see who did such a thing, he paused. "D'angelo?"

He merely put a finger to his lip. "Not a word, let me explain something. Who just arrived use to be the cream of the crop of models, no one has been able to overthrow him or become more popular than him… until you came along." He explained. "He goes by Leo Adonis, and quite frankly, him being here can only spell trouble for you. He HATES anyone who has come up through the ranks and take his spot as top model."

But he merely smiled. "Oh? I piss him off? That's good…" Suiryu said in a creepy tone.

"Please, don't say such a thing darling, as much as I care about you. I can't have you two fighting in a place like this…"

Suiryu's head crooked to the side. "Who said we would be fighting?" he asked curiously. "You think I need protection? No offence D'angelo, I appreciate all you do for me and all, but I am more than capable…"

However he silenced himself oddly as this strange look came over D'angelo's face. He's never made such a look before, he appeared annoyed and yet at the same time, dead serious to his words. "D'angelo?"

"I am not going to say another word for now, but I will tell you this, just as before, keep that pendent on you at all times, do NOT take it off your person no matter what or who says to take it off. Understood?"

'He does know, he has to if he is that serious on protecting the pendent…' Suiryu thought. With that, he nodded his head in agreement. "It won't leave my neck," he vowed. "It can't as I said, it was a gift from a friend,"

D'angelo nodded. "Watch your back with him, darling, and trust me when I say this. As much as you think you have the upper hand… Adonis finds a way,"