Chapter 27

Yua was taken to a small cliff side. It could peer over the village with ease and yet, as she and Sukuna took a seat, he looked out without saying a word. "I know I haven't answered you very well… But I promise you, I will and…"

"I did it," he muttered.

"Ryomen?"

"The reason why… you are not speaking to me of what happened, what became of the clan… it's because… I'm the one who destroyed it, am I not?"

Yua paused but sighed. "Yes and no," she said.

He stared at her oddly, perhaps seeing if she was in pain at all for speaking her answer, but she wasn't. "How can that be?" his voice spiked with anger, he glared at her. "What makes you so certain that I am not the one solely responsible for the loss of your clan!" he demanded.

Yua looked him dead in the eyes and said. "Because, since this had happened to you. I see now what my family saw in you. But right now, this isn't who you really are."

They had a stare off as it were. Sukuna kept looking, seeing, trying to find any sort of a lie spoken to him. But, he pulled back rather defeated. "Why are you like this?" he asked. "Had I been in your position, I wouldn't even give me the time of day… I wouldn't want you standing in my presence knowing what you have done to me. Why are you like this?!"

She forced a smile. "Because, I'm a Tooru." She said gently. "Ryomen, I don't know how long this drug is going to last in your system, at the same time… I don't know what will happen after it wears out. All I know is Kenjaku must have made this just for you for a certain reason. I hold him more responsible for the death of my clan over you… because he used you to do it."

Silence.

Sukuna was silent to it all, but still he looked disgusted with himself. "What now?" he asked. "Is it not better if I don't remember?"

"Would you be better off not remembering Mother Tooru?" she asked.

His face froze, he turned and stared at her, bewildered that such words left her mouth. "What do you mean by that?"

"Our actions, our choices and consequences, they not only shape us, but the world around us as well. Despite the fact not many know who I am. I know I have impacted many lives, just by being here. The same goes for you, Ryomen. Granted, many things that you have not are not… favorable in the least bit to those around you, you did shape this world we live in because of it."

He went quiet once more.

In fact, he was silent for a long while before taking a deep breath. "I remember… mother Tooru dying, same with Father Tooru. Breathing their last breath, she looked to me, with such worry in her eyes… as if I were the child who still needed their mother. And yet, she tried to keep a brave face for me, saying it will be okay… but… it wasn't. A part of me died with them, how was it fair that they were taken from this world?" he asked.

The world itself isn't fair. Yua knows that first handedly.

"Fate can play cruel jokes on us, as well, there are those who see life as nothing more than a mere trinket to toy and play with as they see fit. The lives of others are nothing compared to the one they have. Others merely wish to see those who they consider lesser beings… suffer."

He nodded. "I became like that, didn't I?"

"Yes," she said. "In fact, you were rather cruel and heartless to any and all who came before you… but that only happened after you were tricked and were desperate…"

"Tricked?" he began to think once more, Yua wondered if perhaps his memories were being recovered far faster than before. "Yes… I think I remember… the forces were getting closer, I was at my limit… then… HE came before me…"

His eyes flared with anger.

"Ryomen…"

"He… he… HE USED ME!" He roared, but then, froze as he felt something. In fact, his whole body hunched over.

"Ryomen…"

"Run…" he whispered. "You need to run… NOW!"

Yua snapped to her feet, but she didn't run. "Why do I need to run?" she asked. "Ryomen. What's wrong?"

That flare in his eyes, he had the same look when he first came to the domain to finish what he started with her clan. "The binding vow between Kenjaku and I broke… He helped me, in return… I don't interfere with his actions… I did, didn't I? I felt the vow break in me… and now… I want to kill you!"

But, this was strange to her.

He was holding himself back!

Sukuna was bracing his arms, refusing to let himself go. His teeth were gritted as he glared at her. "What are you waiting for… RUN!" he ordered.

She didn't.

"I have no reason to run from you, and now, I see how much Kenjaku has planned in order to take out my clan…" she said. "Besides…" she peered at his cuffs, then the collar on his neck reacted. The tag began to spin oddly enough, whatever he was holding back, the pain he possessed.

It began to vanish.

"What… this can't be… a binding vow cannot be broken like this… what… what is happening?!"

She smiled to him. "I should tell you now, if you don't remember. You are bounded to me, as such the binding vow Kenjaku has on you… it's nothing compared to the one I have with you. Not to mention, you are a pet to two very odd dragons." She said with a grin.

He appeared to settle himself, taking deep breaths Sukuna calmed himself down. "Will… will I hurt you if I sleep this off? What if it rebinds?"

"I don't think that should have worked in the first place, unless this was reasserting the vow on to you. Since after all, Kenjaku already fulfilled his side and in a sense, you did as well. I had died once already, and I was the last living Tooru at the time…"

But he was right about this, the binding vow Kenjaku had placed on him in the past should have broken. So why did it trigger now?

She peered at Sukuna who had his eyes closed, he was keeping himself settled until he felt he was okay to continue. "Ryomen, perhaps it is best you sleep this off. If you have any questions tomorrow, I will answer them truthfully."

He merely nodded.

Sukuna stood up and walked back to the village.

Yua on the other hand collapsed and tried to think of what just happened before her.

"Miss Tooru, are you okay?"

She jumped as someone peered out of her shadow. It was one of Toji's kids.

"You're T3 right?" she asked.

"T2, but we get mixed up often." He explained and came out of her shadow. "Big brother Suiryu told me to keep an eye on you, just in case… what happened?"

"I'm trying to figure that out myself." She said. "A binding vow triggered when it shouldn't have, that is, if that is the consequence for breaking it…"

T2 peered over to where Sukuna stood. "It triggered again since the components for the original vow to take hold again was present. I think this was insurance the sorcerer had in mind for this."

He was surprisingly perceptive.

"So the vow, when triggered, was meant for Sukuna to destroy what he intended on protecting. If we take into consideration the means of this vow and the one who forged it… It would have been a win-win for Kenjaku either way." She said.

"I got that feeling too, if he somehow remembered his past with your clan. Kenjaku must have put in a precaution just in case, he really wanted your clan destroyed."

"Question is why?" she asked. "Granted, I am slightly flattered that he would that much time and effort into this. But still. Why was my family that great of a threat to him?"

T2 shrugged. "I am not familiar with mortal problems." He said bluntly. "But all I know is this, mom told us that if you were in trouble, we help! No matter what, mom wants to make sure that your clan returns to its former glory. It's a good thing the phoenix clause triggered…"

Phoenix clause?!

"What is a phoenix clause?" she asked. "I have never heard of it before."

T2 was taken aback. "You don't think your family sacrificed themselves for nothing? This was an agreement they had with Ryujin, as well, part of a reward for them too. Knowing he would need a host and the host will die, living a short life, the phoenix clause was made to ensure your family would live on. It only triggered after you died."

Yua didn't understand this. "What do you mean it triggered after I died?"

"Well, from what I learned, the phoenix clause brings back the strongest member of your clan in hopes of rebuilding it. The strongest returns with greater power and understanding of their abilities," he explained. "You didn't know about this?"

"Not a single clue."

"Next time, talk to mother about it. I am certain she can explain it better than me."

"You did very well, thank you."

T2 smiled to her. Damn, he looks like Toji!

The odd thing was, T2 was nearing to be the same size as Toji as well.

"Well, we better head back. T1 is going to look out after Sukuna to ensure he doesn't do anything."

"I've been meaning to ask, is your father teaching you boys well?"

T2 snorted a laugh. "Dad… tries, but at the same time, I don't think he knows what to do. We spar with him, but we're too strong against him. At the same time… I want to get to know big brother Megumi more. All the siblings want to know him better, but…"

"You're brother has been through many and difficult things as well, give him time to warm up to you."

He nodded to her idea. "We will, but, we hope he warms up to us sooner than later. Like it or not, he is our brother and we do look up to them… we need him and the others to guide us too."

Yua was stunned, she didn't realize the Fushiguros felt this way.

Maybe she needs to talk to Megumi…