Chapter 15

Kagome glared at the metal doors. The scent of bleach hung heavy, just as the silence seemed deafening in the frigid air. Worst was the feeling of death; it clung to the walls. If not for Jujutsu Sorcerers, the morgue would be overflowing with curses.

"He's not dead." She glowered, biting back tears. Kagome repeated it over and over, holding onto that flicker of life that shone inside Yuji. Even without a heart, Kagome could still feel their energies- Sukuna's and Yuji's- battling within his chest.

"Kid-" Kagome snapped angry eyes at Gojo. He looked at her with pity and worry.

"He's not dead!" She repeated adamantly.

"I'm sorry." His hand fell gently on her shoulder; its weight felt so heavy, conveying more with that simple gesture than words ever could. He lingered for a moment before he moved past her and through the door.

Kagome fell onto an uncomfortable bench; she was exhausted from the emotional whiplash she'd been forced to endure.

The scene of gore and viscera replayed in vivid detail within her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see Yuji giving her that gentle smile, blood spilling from his chest. Even in what had seemed like his final moments, Yuji had been so kind and selfless, wishing them to live happy and long lives.

It was cruel.

~o.O~O.o~

Kagome glared daggers at Sukuna, her throat firmly in his grip. "Come now, miko," he purred. "You can do better than that."

"Fuck off," Kagome hissed, her eyes ablaze with fury and pain. She tried to push against him, her hands frantically clawing at his arm, but he was much too strong for her. She felt his lips brush against her ear.

"Is that an offer?"

Kagome's blood was boiling within her veins, the feeling of his fingertips tracing her face sending waves of anger and disgust through her. Taking her chance, she snapped her head back and headbutted him with every ounce of her strength, resulting in an immensely satisfying crunch as her skull collided with his nose.

Sukuna stumbled back, blood dripping down his face. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kagome shouted a battle cry and unleashed a powerful spiritual wave, sending Sukuna hurtling into a nearby tree, which cracked and splintered from the force of his impact. He quickly rose to his feet, still sporting that sinister grin.

He flew at her, seemingly appearing and disappearing as he went. She was thrown, her body sent flying into a nearby cement wall. A rush of pain followed, and Kagome felt blood slipping from her mouth as her vision blurred. Yet still, she rose to her feet, clenching her fists as she felt her spiritual power seething within her.

"All this fighting for a worthless brat," he said, as though amused.

"Don't you dare talk about Yuji like that," Kagome growled, a furious rage overtaking her. "He's not worthless." Taking her bow, she began to shoot an array of arrows at Sukuna, though he managed to dodge most. His grin never left his face.

"You really do amuse me, miko. I like it."

Gritting her teeth, Kagome put more and more power into her attacks. Though several had landed, each one making her heartache at the thought of it hitting Yuji, Sukuna's ability to heal was simply too great.

He suddenly appeared before her, his hand reaching out to touch her cheek. "You're mine, miko," he whispered.

"HIGURASHI!" Megumi shouted, appearing just as battered and exhausted as her. It was obvious that Sukuna was playing with them; the fact that they were still breathing was proof of this. Whether due to their pact or not, Kagome wasn't sure.

"If it isn't the other brat!" Sukuna grinned. "You use the shadows, so what took you so long? Kind of a waste of your talents." Sukuna shrugged, far too pleased with himself. Though Kagome was starting to think he liked to hear himself speak. "Anyway, at this rate, I'm not gonna heal his heart."

"You bastard!" Kagome growled, her heart aching and weirdly disappointed that Sukuna would break their sacred vow.

Megumi took up a new stance, juryoku blanketing his body. Kagome stared while Sukuna cheered. "Good, you're finally ready to go all out! Show me what you got, Megumi Fushiguro!"

Megumi began to softly chant and abruptly stopped, his posture faltered, and his power started to dwindle. "Just to make it clear…" He spoke gently, showing a side of himself that Kagome had never seen: vulnerable and emotional. "I didn't have a logical reason to save you back then. Even if it's dangerous, I didn't want to see a good person like you die. I had my doubts, but I eventually heeded my selfish emotions. But that's all right. I'm no hero. I'm a Jujutsu Sorcerer." His expression turned somber, all the anger vanishing. "I've never regretted saving you, not even for a moment."

Sukuna's power suddenly vanished, and in his place was Yuji. He was smiling, so gentle and kind.

"Yuji."

"I see." Yuji rubbed his neck sheepishly. "You are really smart, Fushiguro. You probably think way more than I do. I think that what you believe in is right, but that doesn't mean mine isn't either." Yuji looked at her and smiled. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring his face and falling in hot tracks down her cheeks; she wished she knew what kind of emotion it was that had been in his eyes. "Oh, man. Guess my times up." He coughed up blood and began to sway. "Fushiguro, as for you, Kagome, Kugisaki, and Gojo-sensai- I guess I don't need to worry about him." He swayed, but a smile pulled at his lips despite the pain. "Live a long life for me, okay?"

She watched as he swayed, and her heart shattered into a million pieces. How could she live a long, happy life after this?

"YUJI!" He crumpled to the ground, and Kagome was quick to run to his side. She held him close to her chest, her tears mingling with his hair. Suddenly, she felt it: a pulse. The reiki within his chest was still there, trapped by Sukuna's power.

"Damn you, Sukuna."

~o.O~O.o~

Kagome stood and walked through the metal doors.

"Ms. Higurashi!?" Kiyotaka yelped.

"Leave her Kiyotaka." Gojo instructed, making the other man wilt.

Kagome walked straight up the metal slab that Yuji was on. Her hands shook as she pulled back the sheet. She stared in awe; his skin was still rosy in color and warm to the touch, not the usual grey and blue tint that normally accompanied death. He looked like he was sleeping.

Tears filled her eyes as she gently touched his face and caressed his hair.

"Me and Kagome have both come to the conclusion that this was intentional."

"What do you mean?" Kiyotaka stuttered, no doubt thinking back to how Kagome demanded to be part of the mission despite having a prior arrangement to meet with the higher-ups.

"We were up against a Special Grade Curse," Kagome hissed, her eyes flashing.

"They should never have sent first-years, and they were my students," Gojo explained further. " I was the one who forcibly granted an indefinite postponement on Yuji's death sentence. The higher-ups were unhappy, so they used a Special Grade Curse while I was away- to get rid of him silently. Even if the others died, it would have served to spite me. That's killing two birds with one stone, isn't it?"

"No, but-"

"Because I was there, they sent higher-ups in an attempt to change the narrative so it wouldn't impact relations with the Seishin council."

"It's troublesome to find the one behind this." The air around him felt charged, his aura darkening and juryoku rising. "Maybe I should just kill all the higher-ups?!"

Kagome eyed him from over her shoulder, she usually was much more understanding, but in this case, her heart craved vengeance. And perhaps that's what Gojo saw despite the blindfold.

"You're being emotional for once." The woman came in quietly; just like her voice, there was a softness about her. Though she looked exhausted with dark bags under her eyes. Then again, as the school's primary doctor, Shoko Ieiri was usually busy either healing or writing death certificates. And it seemed she preferred the latter. "You must have liked him."

"Of course," Gojo retorted, once more appearing laid back despite the raging of his aura. "I'm a nice guy who's always thinking about the students."

"Don't bully Ijichi too much. It's not easy for him to get caught between us and the elders." Shoko scolded him with a bored face and flat tone. She proceeded to take off her jacket and put on a smock and gloves.

Kagome almost laughed at the goofy look on Kiyotaka's face.

"Is that so?" If he wasn't wearing the blindfold, Kagome would have sworn he'd just rolled his eyes.

"So, is he the one? Sukuna's vessel?" Gojo nodded at her question. "I'm free to tear him apart, right?" Shoko pulled up her mask.

"Make good use of him." It was a somber answer that made her heart ache.

"Oh, I will."

"NO!" Kagome snapped, stepping between her and Yuji. "You can't! He isn't dead! His and Sukuna's reiki hasn't left his body! Sukuna can still heal him!" She turned around, eyes wide and frantic. She screamed, slamming her fists into Yuji's chest.

"Kagome, that's enough! You need to accept that he's gone." Gojo tried, his voice tinged with concern.

"No!" Kagome growled, and her powers rose up, bright and violent. Kagome's eyes blazed with anger as she hissed at Yuji's lifeless body. "Sukuna," she whispered, her voice dripping with venom, "If you don't revive Yuji within the next minute, consider our pact broken." Her juryoku rose up just as violently as her reiryoku, but something else rose up, a power that was primal and ancient, like a beast at the end of its chains. "Your fingers will shrivel up, your powers will dwindle into nothingness, and you shall never be whole; instead, you will be trapped within his corpse, forced to rot with him. I will purify you from existence!"

'You are truly wicked, miko.' She did not hear his voice; instead, it pushed against her mind in a deep chuckle. 'I like it.'

Kagome watched with bated breath as Yuji's body stirred, a sign of life finally returning to him. Her heart swelled with relief, grateful that Sukuna had kept his end of the pact and revived her friend. But her anger and mistrust towards the cursed spirit had only grown stronger with every passing second. She knew he was cunning and dangerous, but she had not anticipated his willingness to toy with life just to prove a point.

Her eyes grew cold and unyielding as she drew back her powers. "Don't mistake my fury for wickedness," she spoke softly with measured calmness, knowing he would hear her hushed tones. "I will not hesitate to take drastic measures to protect those I care for."

She could sense the smugness radiating from Sukuna and could practically see him smirking with a confidence born from the knowledge that he was far more powerful than she was- for now.

Kagome blinks in surprise. Sukuna's power flared with Yuji's reiki. She looked at him, eyes wide and breath held. The gaping hole in his chest closed, the skin knitting back together, and his flesh grew flushed. Her heart raced as she watched Yuji take a small breath, his eyes flickering behind his lids. Slowly, he sat up and let out a groan.

Overcome with emotion, Kagome couldn't help but collapse against Yuji and cling to him tightly. She didn't care that they were in a morgue or that the cold metal slab beneath her felt like ice against her skin. All that mattered was that her friend was alive, and she could feel the steady beat of his heart against her own chest.

wolfYLady: Sorry for the wait, I've been a bit busy between working, wedding planning, and depression. I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter, and I would appreciate it if you would be so kind as to review- it would be a lot!

Until next time!~