Chapter 17

'DAMN IT! SHE KILLED ME!'

Sukuna felt as if his life were drained out of him. He was out cold until he swore white light came over his eyes. When he came too, he stared into the faces of the Tooru family! "SHIT She did kill me!" he protested.

"Not completely."

He froze to her voice, peering up. It was mother Tooru. She looked to him and smiled warmly. "You have endured so much Ryomen."

He turned away bitterly.

He felt a gentle hand cup under his chin, Mother Tooru continued to smile at him. "We were never angry for what you did, we were so sad since we knew it wasn't you anymore. But you were still in there somewhere. You never wondered why didn't we curse you when you took the lives of the family?" she asked.

It was another way his power grew, those he killed and consumed to gain their technique always cursed him, it made him stronger and more deranged…

Wait…

"You mean…" he whispered.

They nodded. "Many of us died at your hands, but we did so, to ensure that bit of you we knew was in there survived. It's why we didn't curse you, how could we?" father Tooru said. "But now, you need to prove yourself. You are given a chance, and you must not waste it. Ryomen, the lives you took are many, but lives can also be saved. We are asking you to try and reverse your sins, save lives as many as you can before you die. This is not a curse, but a simple request from the family."

He didn't know how to answer, he won't have curse energy anymore. But, would that even make him less able to save people? He didn't know if he could, but his head nodded to them. He has to try!

As quickly as the moment happened, he snapped up in a bed. The room was a blur at first, and yet, it felt… calm and silent. He sensed nothing of curse energy, which meant it was taken from him. Slowly, he eased himself out of the bed and peered about, if he is not mistaken this is one of the guest houses the brats built. But… what's this smell?

"It can't be…" he whispered.

The smell he hasn't smelt in over a thousand years began to fill his senses. Spicy, savory, yes, he knew this one well. He crept out of the bedroom and found a small kitchen and a meal at the table. He couldn't believe his eyes as he stared down at it all. "Is this… pork ribs?"

He picked one off the plate and bit into it. The flavor… then the memory…

"I tried a new recipe, what do you think?"

He devoured a whole plate of the ribs, unable to get enough of them. "Perfection, they are tender, sweet and that spicy. It's wonderful!" he decreed.

"When I am your wife, I will make these for you once a week!" she vowed.

"Why not every day?"

"Then, you will be board of them." She said as a gentle kiss came over his cheek.

He snapped back into reality, he had devoured the whole plate as he reminisced in the moment. "They tasted just like Chusi's cooking…"

"I still have it?"

His heart froze in his chest, peering out of the left set of eyes, he saw her. Sukuna snapped to his feet as he didn't understand if this was all a dream… or a hell he has brought upon himself. "No… it… it can't be…" he whispered.

"Ryomen?" she asked gently.

The woman was young, she looked just like Yua and yet… the way she spoke to him… it couldn't be… wait… he shook his head of it until a gentle hand grabbed his lower right one. He felt it. He felt her hand!

"Ryomen, are you okay?"

He couldn't answer her at the moment, he was still trying to figure out if she was real. Dropping to his knees, he stared into her face. Those are her eyes… her lips… her nose… it… it is her, isn't it?

"Chusi?" he whispered.

She smiled and nodded to him. "Are you okay now?"

He shook his head. "How… how can you be happy to see me?"

She chuckled a little. "I knew it was you, Ryomen, the moment you woke up. You're back, aren't you?"

"I took your life…"

"You took my brother's life. That other sorcerer took mine when you were distracted with Ryoto… I saw Ryoto recently too, he looks happy."

"His name is Yuuji now. Yuuji Itadori."

She nodded to him. "I was introduced to everyone the moment I came too. You have been asleep for nearly three days."

"THREE?!" he demanded. But stopped himself as she jumped. "Sorry… three days?" he whispered, he has never been knocked out for that long before… then again, the one who managed to do such a thing is no less a dragon goddess.

"You've been here for some time, the masters of this land brought you here, and then me here when I was introduced… it was strange, I don't remember how I got here either."

He merely nodded to her. "I… I have a lot to make up for. Especially to you,"

She only laughed at him. "Ryomen, I know it wasn't you that killed my brother. I also know how you became so vengeful. None of it would have happened if the sorcerers and emperor have just let thing be… I don't hold it against you."

He sighed to it all. "But you should, and please do." He said gently.

"Let's go see the others!" she insisted. "Come, let me go see everyone else again!"

She sounded so excited, he gave into her plea as they left the house, it was rather nice to have such accommodations.

#

They were out and about as was the rest of those who lived here. Chusi was like a child looking at everything with great excitement. "I remember meeting everyone, but I am still trying to recall their names and faces. I know Megumi and Nanami quite well though. Also, who would have thought the world would gain two dragons!"

"You knew?" he asked curiously.

"It's obvious to me," she laughed. "After all, considering my family."

Speaking of family…

He peered about, normally Tooru would be out with everyone to ensure everything was going well. He saw Six Eyes, but no Tooru. He was about to speak of it until, Chusi grabbed his hand once more. "Come, let's go see the others!" she insisted.

It was an odd tour of the land, all the while she would talk about the advancements that have been made in a thousands years. The one she was most impressed with was a toilet. "I didn't think one could make something so… useful! I mean, where does it go after? There was no jujutsu either…"

He couldn't help but laugh at her. The fact was the device was miraculous; he was just too caught up in his own greed to see how amazing the world had advanced in a short time. She loved the concept of indoor plumbing, then the kitchen was the next best thing in her mind. "When you were asleep, I spoke with a cursed human named Eso, he taught me some basics and how to use the tools in the kitchen now. We don't have to cook over a fire, how remarkable!"

Everything… was nothing less than incredible in her eyes.

"Miss Chusi!"

She paused as Yuuji called out to her, Sukuna saw her eyes widened as she grabbed his arm and brought him over. "Look, it's Ryoto! Ryomen, it's my brother!"

Yuuji froze, almost like a deer in the headlights but gently laughed off her words. "Well… his soul, but not really him…" he said. "Is everything to your liking Chusi?"

"It's AMAZING!" her eyes sparkled as she recalled all the things she has learned since coming here. "It's so remarkable! I cannot wait to see the village too!"

"She hasn't gone out yet?" Sukuna asked.

Yuuji shrugged. "We offered, but she insisted that you showing her around. We are going to accompany you as well… but… you got some chaperones for that."

"UBA!"

He cringed a little as Chusi giggled. "Uba?" she asked of him.

Shin came from behind him along with Rook and Mochi. "Uba, we were worried, you've been sleeping for a long time," said Rook.

"They are going to company us?" Sukuna muttered to Itadori.

"I'm going too," he insisted. "Besides, it's just a walk around the village, we will bring her to the city when she get a little more settled in, we can't over stimulate her now can we?"

He nodded in agreement. "Ooo, the city? What's it like?" Chusi asked.

"Another time, for now, would you like to go to the village?"

She nodded. "I need to get more spices for dinner tonight."

She led the way out, and yet. Sukuna wondered… how did she come to back to life?