Chapter 31
His mind was in a fog.
Slowly, he woke again, but wasn't anywhere comfortable. Instead, he was on his feet, chained to the wall surrounded by markings, talismans and cursed objects. His four arms chained and contained in special grade metal shackles. His hands held in iron like mittens. "Damn it, again…" he whispered.
"This is how they treat you?"
In the corner of the room was Kitsune in her fox form.
"I didn't know you could talk in that form?" he said in a dazed tone. "Where…"
"Kyoto," she said gently. "Apparently, they are planning on how to kill you," she said in an angry tone. "Do they not understand what you have gone through!"
"They're scared," he said. "So am I to be honest,"
She came forward. "Young master, this was destined to happen. You recall your training to make you nearly the equal of Sukuna? This is part of it, you need this form to hold your own, don't you understand?" she asked. "Those demonic markings are not his… their yours!"
He froze to her words, "Mine?" he asked. "You mean… I made this markings?"
She nodded. "When one's power grows, their markings show and display their abilities and power to others. They are warning signs to those who dare to challenge them." She explained. "You have made your own markings, for they are made from your own power,"
He was about to speak, until his stomach roared. "How long…" he asked.
"Three days," she said. "You must be starving, no one has come to feed you. You have also been asleep that long."
He pulled on the chains but was too weak and tried to do so. "I want to leave here…" he said.
"Then leave, you have the strength, don't break your binds, burst from them!" she decreed. "Let them see that despite your power, you are not their enemy!"
He took a deep breath, first he listened about to ensure no one was in harms way. "Kitsune, can you please make sure that I don't hurt anyone doing this?" he asked of her gently. She gave a nod as he saw an odd wave of power course over the walls. "Thank you, please step out of the room for a moment."
She nodded and vanished.
He focused now, the power coursed through all four of his arms.
He is breaking himself out!
#
"How strong has he become?"
There was silence among the elders at the table. They got word of Yuuji's transformation and knew it was a mistake to allow him to live, but at this point, no one knows how strong he has become, let alone the amount of force it would need to take him down.
"He didn't kill anyone, in fact, he saved Nobara and Megumi…" said Principal Yaga. He came to speak on Yuuji's behalf, however, even he has doubts about his own student. "I can't explain it, but he has a different energy than Sukuna…"
"Sukuna also adapts and evolves!" one elder protested. "He probably did just that to throw us all off!"
"Well, he is contained now, that's our strongest room…"
KABOOM!
The ground trembled, the walls shook as those standing found themselves on the floor! They all rushed to the door to see what had happened. Principal Yaga peered out the window and saw the room that contained Yuuji Itadori had exploded… and the boy wondered out of it effortlessly.
"He's escaping…" he whispered.
"The door! The door is sealed!" one elder shouted as they tried to rip it open. No one could break it down, despite their efforts, the door refused to budge. Principal Yaga attempted to break a window or two, but found the glass refused to shatter.
"What the hell is this?!" he demanded.
Only to turn around and see a woman sitting at the head of the table. She wore a red kimono with white sashes. But her eyes were that of gold as she glared at the room. "I suggest you all shut up this instant, I am not in a good mood right now." She decreed.
Everyone was on edge. "She wasn't here before…"
"No shit," Yaga muttered. "Miss… who are you?" he asked of her.
"Sit down and I will explain, the longer you take the longer you will remain here." She ordered and used the fan in her right hand to point to the seats.
The elders were reluctant, but there was no choice in the matter as they all took a spot on the floor around the table. This woman, had a powerful presence, but no curse energy coming off of her. Yaga couldn't tell what kind of power she was emitting, but it was enough to make the elders themselves sit in silence. "I am the caretaker of my young master, Yuuji Itadori… and I am greatly offended to his treatment under you so call… guidance," she said venomously.
"You? What connection does Yuuji have to you?" Yaga asked. "Are you a…"
"Sukuna is a mortal enemy of mine and that of my true master," she said defiantly. "You should be grateful for such, to have someone like them on your side!"
"What do you want?" one elder asked with a bitter tone.
She paused to take in the room, looking about she appeared to realize something. "We are missing someone important from this meeting…" She drew out her fan, once more with a mere wave of it, she brought another person into the room.
"GOJO!" the elders shouted.
But he appeared just as confused as them. "Huh, again this is how it feel when I do this to you huh?" he paused and saw her. "Does… everyone else see her?" he asked pointing to the woman in the kimono.
The room nodded.
"Oh thank goodness, so I won't appear crazy then. Kitsune, are we about to learn the truth here?" he asked.
"Kitsune?" the room whispered.
"Yes, Kitsune, messenger to the gods and spirits," Gojo explained as he took a seat.
Before she uttered another word, the door opened from the other side. Yuuji wondered into the room but carried a small plate of refreshments. He said nothing as he brought them to Kitsune and poured her a cup of tea. "I figured you were waiting for me in the three days I was knocked out, you are probably just as hungry as I was…" he said and smiled.
Her hardened look lightened. "Such a sweet boy," she said gently and took part in the snacks. "Yuuji, sit next to me please. I need to explain things to everyone… and you,"
He was taken aback by her tone but nodded. He moved around the table and sat next to her in an attentive manner. She took a few nibbles of the snacks before looking back to the room. "Your fears over Sukuna are valid, however you aim your fears at the wrong person." She decreed. "You are correct too, Sukuna is not dead yet."
"Then the boy…"
"My young master is the key to defeat him!" she snapped back.
The room fell into silence.
Gojo was paying close attention now. "He's done something, hasn't he?" he questioned.
"The trial of body and soul… it's rarely ever invoked, for the incident that occurred has never happened before…"
The room paused to her tone. "Kitsune… what's the trial about?" Yuuji asked gently.
She took a sip of tea and explained. "There are two ways this is called upon, and Sukuna has used both methods to ensure it occurs. Before his first death, he casted a curse upon himself. Should the day come and he finds a body he likes, he will claim a trial of body and soul for it should someone attempt to remove him by force. You didn't have the means or methods to do so. The second incident is what triggered the trial. For another had entered an occupied vessel." She explained.
"What Yua put into him…" Gojo said offhandedly.
She nodded her head. "When one infringes on another's vessel, a trial can be called forth. Sukuna has done such a thing and yet there is a grace period. One year." She said. "One year from the day the body is taken, will the trial happen. However this is a little different too. Normally it's the two entities that fight over the body. Yet since Yuuji is still himself and never lost his own soul to Sukuna, the fight has become his."
Yuuji paused to the news, but he appeared to understand as well. "It's because I resisted Sukuna isn't it?" he asked.
She nodded once more. "But, we have been training you well and you have grown so much. We are not done yet to say the least!" Kitsune said proudly.
Yuuji froze, he trembled a little at the thought of it all. "It's always me causing trouble… why… why is it always me!" he wept.
Kitsune paused as she reached for his hands. "Young master, please let me finish…" she said gently.
He settled himself down and nodded.
Her focus turned back to the elders. "In the past two months since his vanquish, Yuuji has gone under great training from not just myself, but with Gojo as well as to my request. He has gotten stronger, that is certain, but he needs more power. With that being said, from this moment on. NONE of you shall interfere with our regiment… you WILL NOT harm my young master, chain him, threaten him in any ways… punishment… will be swiftly dealt" she warned.
The elders muttered. "Wait, if the boy is alive, Sukuna will claim his body. If we destroy him…"
SMASH!
The elder was thrown into the wall hard with a nudge of her fan!
Kitsune kept calm as she saw the look of panic on the faces of the elders. "You destroy him, the body is forfeited… you of all know how well Sukuna can heal and revive the dead… for he has done it before to Yuuji." She said defiantly.
No one spoke.
Gojo however put his hand up. "Kitsune, what more can we do?" he asked.
She paused for a sip of tea. "We are going to do everything possible to increase his power. I know we will not be able to make him the equal of Sukuna, but we can have him become strong enough to hold his own. His training is unique, and I hope soon he grasps what I am trying to teach him. For I cannot tell him directly what he should do to defeat this demon."
"But, he's a demon himself now, isn't he?" Yaga asked.
She nodded. "His body has been demonized, yes," she explained. "But it is necessary so he may hold his own." She explained.
Itadori was then staring at his arms. He sighed aloud to it all before he turned to the elders. He lowered his head. "I am sorry for scaring everyone…" he said sincerely.
"Raise your head young master, they should be bowing to you." Kitsune stated.
Gojo only smiled. "So, with that being said, how long do we have until Sukuna's trail?" he asked.
"Ten months," Kitsune stated. Her eyes then turned to Itadori. "We will increase your training, from this point on, it won't be easy." She said. "I will be asking a lot from you, young master…"
Yaga looked on as the young boy's face hardened with determination. "Yes sensei…" he said.
There was such a fire in his eyes, determination to face what is yet to come.
#
Gojo listened closely to what Kitsune had to say, but something wasn't fitting here. "Kitsune, this trial, if Sukuna wins, what becomes of Yuuji?" he asked.
She appeared concerned. "He takes Sukuna's place in death," she said. "Meaning the punishment meant for him when he dies… will be passed on to Yuuji…"
He turned to Itadori, his face went white as he learned the truth. "What happens WHEN Itadori wins?" he asked and made certain that his student heard what he said.
Kitsune smiled. "He has the right to do as he wishes with Sukuna, his punishment and all." She explained.
"But why does he LOOK like him!" Yaga demanded. "I mean this is all too… suspicious to me."
"I brought it upon myself…" Itadori said in a low whisper. "I… I asked to become this to save my friends, I wasn't strong enough to do so before. I begged for the strength to do it, and… I became like this…" he said meekly.
"It's not a bad look for him, he controls his strength well." Gojo insisted. "He just has to keep learning the greater he becomes. Hell, it won't be long until he is an equal to me!"
The elders froze to the news. "No, we can't have that!" one protested.
"Would you like to be introduced to the wall as well, mortal?" Kitsune asked as her fan appeared poised to do the deed.
Silence befell the room once more.
"I never asked to become this" Yuuji stated. "I didn't want to become a demon vessel, I never wanted to help someone like that monster do so much harm to those around me and the people I care about!" he shouted. "I NEVER ASKED FOR ANY OF THIS AND YET I AM ALWAYS BLAMED FOR IT!"
The people of the room shuttered to his voice, as the walls trembled from his power! When he realized that, he calmed himself down. "I'm sorry…" he said meekly once more.
"Oh no, don't apologize, that's justified!" Gojo insisted. "It's true that this has been casted upon you, Yuuji, but, I know for a fact that you can handle it, and we're going to help you!" he said proudly. "Quite frankly, seeing you getting better and stronger each day makes this all the worth while. Keeps things fun for me."
Kitsune finished her snacks and drink. She then turned to Yuuji and smiled to him. "It's time to show them what makes you so much different from Sukuna," she announced.
Yuuji was all ears. "How do I do that?"
"Young master, I do believe you are ready to help them now." She said.
He appeared confused at first, but then remembered. "OH!" he said as his four eyes widened with great surprise. "Really?!" he asked.
She nodded and stood up. "Now then, gentlemen, perhaps you will see how much of a demon his young man really is, take us to your medical facilities…"