Megumi sat upon rubble underneath the cover of a building as the rain continued to pour down all around them. His hands clasped together, and his face sullen. The pain in his healed stomach numb from the cold.

"How is your injury, Megumi-kun?"

Megumi turned to Ciel. She sat under the same cover as him. Kneeling on the ground with Yuuji's head on her lap. The shadow curse user looked at Yuuji's surprisingly peaceful face. If not for that wound in the pink-haired teen's chest, he would have thought Yuuji was just sleeping.

"...I'm fine, senpai," Megumi said quietly, looking away as he felt the regret resurface in his own chest. "I'm sorry. I should have gone in and helped you sooner."

"No. You did exactly as you should have," Ciel said, caressing Yuuji's forehead to clear away all the raindrops. Her hand stilled against the dead sorcerer's pulled-back hair, and she fixed it to seem more like the boy's original appearance, not Sukuna's. "The fault is mine for underestimating curses."

"I still shouldn't have left you alone with him," Megumi gripped his knees, "Yuuji told me to get everyone out. I should have kept looking for you, and-."

"I wouldn't have gone with you. In any case, you were rescuing your classmate Kugisaki, along with my pupil, Noel. Getting them out of that building was a priority above all. You did everything right."

Megumi didn't feel sated with that. He lacked confidence in himself, and because of that, Ciel got hurt and Yuuji was dead. He was only able to enter a calm state of resolve after being faced with his senpai being strangled by the King of Curses, and because he needed that level-headedness to summon that hunk of a weapon for Ciel to wield. If he had been stronger, if he had gone in and try to get Yuuji back in control somehow...

Ciel sighed and raised a finger for Megumi. She gently pushed the side of his head, right at his temple and surprising the shadow user. "Now, now. You shouldn't be frowning so much. You're far too young to be getting any wrinkles at your age."

Alleviating her lighthearted attitude, she then stated firmly, "Even if you went back in, I would have told you to leave. Sukuna had intended for that building to collapse in on itself. Even if I could protect you from that, I might have not been able to reach you in time. He was also fast, even for me. If you had faced him alone, he would have played around with you. But while he was up against me, he had been fighting seriously."

Ciel looked back down at Yuuji, her thumb trailing the corner of the boy's mouth. She had been working to clear away all the blood there. His body shouldn't carry any more evidence of that curse's heinous actions, not such a kind boy as this. "I meant to coax him into using most of his powers so that I could drain his cursed energy quickly. I thought I could fortify the place just enough to do so, but I was wrong. I fortified the building, but not the ground we stood on. It was my error, and for that, Yuuji-kun paid the price for it."

Megumi frowned as he looked back at Yuuji, noticing the placement of her thumb. "...When Sukuna said he was going to replenish himself..."

"...He no doubt meant consuming those trapped victims that had been underground."

Megumi's jaw clenched, and he hated himself for his weakness even more. He wondered if maybe it was a good thing that Yuuji didn't have to suffer through that if he was alive now.

"I'm going to make a report that I've followed Executor protocol and incinerated those victims," Ciel said, surprising Megumi. "Sukuna has already tainted Yuuji's body through his inhumane actions, I don't wish for that curse to taint this boy's image after death as well."

Megumi's eyes softened, looking back out at the pouring rain. "...Thank you."

"It's nothing."

It really isn't. Yuuji will likely be remembered as the boy who couldn't control the curse inside him, and wreaked havoc as if Yuuji was Sukuna himself. Megumi didn't want Yuuji to be seen as a monster on top of that.

"Whether you believe it or not, you really are a good person, Ciel-senpai," Megumi said, determined to stand this viewpoint to his very grave.

"I'm really not as you claim me to be," Ciel said halfheartedly as if having to state this many, many times to Megumi already. "Though, I will say that I am a bit too nice sometimes."

Megumi slightly smirked at that.

"Oh. There's one more thing," Ciel said, raising her eyes to Megumi, "Yuuji told me something that he wanted all of you to hear."

With a smile, she delivered to Megumi the last message of Yuuji Itadori. "He said for you to live a full life."

"So the vessel has died."

Yoshinobu Gakuganji stated after being informed of the news. The elderly man sat in a room with Kasumi Miwa standing guard by the sliding doors. A sorcerer assistant sat across from Gakuganji, delivering the old man this news.

"Yes," the assistant confirmed. "After the vessel went on a rampage, he was put down before he would reach a populated area. The entire detention center was destroyed, as well as several abandoned buildings. That was all the damage done by Sukuna."

That certainly sounded like a miracle, especially since the terrible King of Curses himself was involved. Gakuganji lets out a sigh of relief. "I see. Well, that's that then. It might have been for the best…"

While the old principal said so with a light voice of sympathy, inside he was cheering his heart out. There was a bit of a scare after the destruction of the detention center, but he was glad to hear that the ploy to rid the vessel of Sukuna more or less succeeded. Gakuganji was among those who voted against postponing Yuuji Itadori's execution, and unlike those who were convinced to change their minds by Gojo, he remained adamant with his decision, though in the end he was outvoted. It was far too much of a risk to let the vessel live and cause complete catastrophe all across Japan, even more so with Gojo's insane proposition to collect all the remaining fingers of Sukuna for that boy to ingest.

That's why it was only necessary for some of the higher-ups to assign Gojo's class that Special Grade case, knowing full well the danger that could potentially kill all those first-year sorcerers. It was especially good timing when Satoru himself was out on a trip, and those who wanted Yuuji dead did not waste this opportunity. They might get a bit of hell from Gojo, but unless he was willing to fall as Suguru Geto did, the seething storm from the six-eyes user should pass without much trouble. That arrogant sorcerer needed to be put in his place anyway.

There was nothing to worry about now. The vessel was dead, and Gojo's little plan to usurp the traditional ways of Jujutsu Society failed. This calls for a celebration. Gakuganji should have Miwa bring some champagne. Perhaps a little party with all the students of Kyoto Jujutsu High is in order. They certainly could use one after the stressful amount of work they've received these past few weeks.

"There is… one other thing," the sorcerer assistant said. A look of discomfort on him. "It was how the vessel was killed."

"Oh?" Gakuganji wonders what that tentativeness is all about. Granted, it would have been preferred for the vessel to be killed by that Special Grade at the detention center, but surely it shouldn't matter how the vessel died as long as he did. Though it did intrigue the old principal how someone, other than Gojo, could even defeat the likes of the King of Curses.

"An executor of the Holy Church was confirmed to be in the area," the sorcerer assistant said, "She confronted Sukuna, and it was said that she delivered the final blow."

Miwa's body visibly flinched as the word "executor" came out of the assistant's mouth. Gakuganji stared at the man for a moment, his expression unreadable, and then a smile came to the elder's face. "An executor, you say? Well..."

Shit.

That might be the worst piece of news Gakuganji has ever heard. As bad as Sukuna's revival in fact.

"That's certainly a surprise to hear," despite his thoughts, Gakuganji remained calm. "So an executor is in Japan. Now that I think about it, I have been hearing strange cases going on in Tokyo lately."

Gakuganji gripped his cane in front of himself. Regardless of his tranquil words, there was an undeniable tension in the air. "No doubt those people are going to hang this over our heads. Likely see us as incompetent, even though what happened with the vessel was hardly anyone's fault."

That was a lie, at least in regard to the higher-ups leading Yuuji Itadori's death, but Gakuganji would be damned if he let those churchgoers try to spin this to their own benefit. He wondered if Yaga had been aware of their presence, prior to the Special Grade appearing within that detention center. Then again, those 'priests' - especially that particular batch of ruthless killers - are infamous for their infiltration skills. Have they decided to make a move on sorcerer territory after Sukuna's revival? What opportunistic people they are. It's almost a shame how antagonistic their relationships with sorcerers are - that and their downright zealous views towards Jujutsu sorcery, as if they themselves don't use magecraft from time to time. Damn hypocrites.

"According to the reports," the sorcerer assistant said, looking even grimmer than before. "There was evidence of a vampire taking refuge in the detention center."

"Va-?!" Miwa nearly shouted before locking her shoulders back and controlling herself. Even so, she couldn't help but utter quietly, "Vampire...?"

Gakuganji absorbed this information with a serious look. "I see... This is a bit more troubling than I thought."

Very troubling. It seems Sukuna's reawakening is bringing in all sorts of ill omens to Japan. Curses themselves have been restless these days, pushing his students and other sorcerers to do more work than usual. Aoi Todo has been in high demand for instance, and from what he hears, Yuta Okkotsu as well.

If this keeps up, there may be some reconsideration in holding the Kyoto Goodwill Event, but Gakuganji is confident that the event will happen without delay. After all, the last thing sorcerers need to show is fear at the face of their enemies.

"Was there anything else?" Gakuganji inquired.

"There were reports of live victims being discovered within the hidden base of the vampire, but due to their state, the executor had to eliminate them."

"Hm. That sounds like them alright..." Gakuganji stated emptily, raising his thick brow gaze to the ceiling, "That, or we are dealing with quite a nasty vampire in our midst. Thank you for the report. I'll be sure to inform everyone of the situation personally."

In other words, get ready for war.

The sorcerer assistant bowed his head respectfully and then excused himself as he leaves. Miwa remained unmoved in her spot, though her face appeared to be more strained and a little sweatier than usual.

Gakuganji lets out another sigh, looking out of the open window between the paper screens. A nice and peaceful sunny day, at the moment anyway. I suppose we'll have to call off celebrating for now...

"You don't blame me?"

Ciel asked the returned sorcerer Gojo. They awaited in a morgue with a concealed body on one of the tables. With them was Ijichi, who looked more pensive than usual.

"No. Megumi told me the whole story," Gojo answered from his seat. His hands clasped together as he faced where Yuuji's body was. "You were just doing your job and help those kids at the same time. Says a lot about our fellow sorcerers, though, doesn't it?"

Ijichi flinched at the jab.

"I also can't really blame you after you fought with the King of Curses himself. You kept him from going into town, and judging by how guilty Megumi sounded, it wasn't an easy battle, was it?"

Ciel didn't respond for a moment, staring at the sole-covered corpse in the center of the room. "...I'm not proud to say it, but I've taken curses in Japan too lightly. They're truly unlike all other spirits I've encountered. Their strength, specifically that Cursed Womb and Sukuna, are on par with Dead Apostles. I didn't think I would have so much trouble."

"Sukuna isn't just any curse. He was once human. So out of anyone, he would know what makes a person tick," Gojo said. "Be honest, just how much trouble did he cause you?"

Just how many times was he about to kill you? Or did.

Ciel understood Gojo's true question, sighing briefly, "I came close many times, but I was able to deflect or use magecraft to endure his attacks. If my reaction wasn't as quick as his speed, he would have taken my limbs before I would even blink."

"Not many would be able to boast that," Gojo said, though not much mirth was in his voice today. "And that was just him with three fingers. If he was at full power, even I would have trouble fighting him."

Ciel looked at Gojo with widened eyes. "Really? I'm surprised to hear you say that."

"I'm not shy about calling another person strong," Gojo said, sounding light-heartedly offended that he didn't seem so 'humble' to her. "I'd still win, of course. But unlike how I first met him, I know not to underestimate him for long. At the moment, what he lacks in strength, he'll make up for it in tactics. It's a scary combination if he can do both."

He leaned forward from his seating, "It's something that this world has a good share of too. There are people who have the potential to rival even the likes of me. I've been wanting to cultivate those people, and turn our shithole of a Jujutsu world into a new leaf. The way it could be, with bright and strong sorcerers."

Ciel noted the tension in Gojo's joined hands, angry veins on their backs as he quietly fumed, "Yuuji was supposed to be one of them-!"

It was the first time Ciel witnessed Gojo lose his composure. Gojo had once told her of his ambition to change the traditional ways of Jujutsu Society, culminating young sorcerers into their prime and surpassing their elders, it was one of his pitches when he was trying to recruit her after their first meeting. Ciel honestly thought that Gojo just wanted to have someone compete with him out of sheer boredom. However, seeing Gojo express his frustration over the underhanded method of the higher-ups, that not only did he lose a precious component for the sake of future generations, but nearly two others as well, Ciel realized she misjudged him.

She was new to the Jujutsu World. Even among the Mage Association, Jujutsu Sorcerers were but a small faction, likely to have a pamphlet to their name within a section at the Clocktower library, right at the very back corner where cobwebs are collecting. She could just be exaggerating, but that was just how the curse-using sorcerers of Japan were viewed. Ciel didn't think much of it until she saw for herself just how truly strained Jujutsu Sorcerers were.

Low enrollments. The existence of a single magical healer in their school akin to finding water in a dry desert. The only member among them to garner so much as a fraction of the likes of the Mage Association's attention was Satoru Gojo himself, and from what Ciel has heard, he was as much of a pain to deal with as a certain dimension-crossing Dead Apostle. Even then, she remembered hearing how Gojo is recognized as a special kind of "mage," and not as a jujutsu sorcerer or even a shaman, as if the title alone was too meager when referring to someone as interesting as him.

She hadn't fathomed just how bad things were here, and she felt honest sympathy for the sorcerers in Japan.

Ciel regarded Gojo with an impassive face before turning her attention back to the covered body. "You wouldn't be wrong to hold me accountable in some regard. As soon as he didn't change back, I immediately act to exorcise him. I never attempted to save that boy, though in the end..."

Yuuji ended up finishing the job himself, though it'd be hard to confirm which had killed him. His missing heart, or her pile-bunker that could have permanently prevent Sukuna from regenerating, had she pulled the trigger that is.

"If you want someone to blame, blame the higher-ups for sending first years into a Special Grade case," Gojo stated, calming down, "Honestly, they did it just to spite me if they were willing to get rid of Fushiguro and Kugisaki too, and I can't even figure out who set this up in the first place. Maybe I should just kill everyone from the top."

"Don't be so hasty, there's barely anymore of you sorcerers as is," Ciel lightly admonished him.

Ijichi was trembling in place when he heard the absolute seriousness in Gojo's words, and Ciel being completely unfazed by it. He was once more reminded that he was in a room with a pair of monsters. Should Gojo truly intend to do as he says, Ijichi would be lucky to find anything to duck and cover from such an onslaught.

Gojo sighed, "Yeah. You got a point. Besides, if I want to change the system, just killing all the people in charge isn't going to gain me any supporters."

Not to mention that they'll just be replaced by like-minded fellows who'll keep their traditions to their dying breaths.

"Wow, you must have really liked this kid, huh?"

The one who spoke up as she walked through the door was Shoko Ieiri. Entering with her white doctor's coat on, and dark circles under her solemn yet brimming eyes.

"Well, I am a nice guy who likes all of his students," Gojo declared with a raise of his finger.

Seeing that the medical examiner had finally arrived, Ciel turned around. "I suppose it's time I get going now."

"Leaving already?" Gojo asked.

"There isn't any point for me to stay. I'm not a sorcerer after all, and I figured I owed you an explanation for what happened."

Ciel walked past the tensed and clearly guilt-ridden Ijichi. It was obvious how the man didn't expect any of this to happen, and the pain of letting a young student be suddenly taken from them was gnawing at his conscience. She gave Ijichi a slight bow of her head, surprising the man before he politely returned it in kind.

"Should your superiors wish to hear it as well," Ciel said, "I'm sure our minister will relay the information to them, personally or by proxy."

She paused at the door, "...I am sorry for your loss. I was unable to keep my promise to look after your students."

"You did more than enough, especially when you saved them from getting incinerated in that incomplete domain," Gojo said, offering a slight wave at her departure. "I might visit you again at your school later. See you around, Ciel."

With that, the executor left the morgue.

"So that's the girl you told me about," Ieiri said, walking over to the concealed corpse. "She's younger than I expected for an executor."

"She's a bit of a special case." One of which Gojo has yet to uncover the exact details of, but he'll be sure to find something about it later. "She's also here on some other assignment. Yuuji was just a side quest for the Holy Church. I doubt this will be the last we'll hear from them though."

The nervous gulp in Ijichi's throat was clearly heard by the two other sorcerers in the room.

"I'm surprised she even left this body with us. I was honestly expecting her to bring him in ashes," Ieiri said as she pulled the covers from the table. The bare body of Yuuji Itadori was revealed, and his freshly wounded chest that has since stopped giving blood. "So, I can dissect him however I want, right?"

"Do what you will. Make use of him," Gojo gave his consent with a wave of his fingers.

"Don't raise your eyes at me as if you're allowed to, brat. It's unsightly."

Within a bloody domain, Sukuna in his white robe sat upon a tall throne of animal skulls. Beneath him, Yuuji Itadori stood in a lake of blood. There was pure rage in the boy's eyes, and a crazed smile that couldn't believe his luck at being faced with the cursed king himself. Yuuji only gave a simple response to the curse.

"Then come down here, so I can look down on you."

Yuuji's body moved before he could think, grabbing the horn of a bull's skull by his feet, and threw it at the King of Curses.

Sukuna was a smidge surprised and annoyed by the boy's impulsive action, and he dodged the throw with a single leap. The skull collided into his seat, powerful enough to destroy it completely and debris smoked upwards. Sukuna landed on top of a giant spine that hung overhead the throne, and Yuuji jumped right after him, a feat that reached several meters.

"Wow. You're really pissed," Sukuna chuckled at the sight of Yuuji's face. The sort of face that won't stop until he would punch the curse to tears. "Did you like that woman so much?"

Yuuji only dashed for the king with a raised fist. Sukuna happily welcomed him and threw a punch of his own.

His fist never reached, though, as Yuuji suddenly punched down, onto the spine they stood on. Sukuna didn't expect this abrupt change, and then his face came inches close to Yuuji's foot as the boy swung his leg up for the king.

Got you-! So much for being the King of Curses, if a guy like that was just going to fall for a simple feint-

Yuuji's leg swung nothing but air as he brought his foot back down onto the spine. "Huh-?"

"Damn you're dull," Sukuna said as he stood next to Yuuji, and promptly kicked the boy off the spine.

Yuuji fell with a yell and splashed against the blood water. He immediately pushed his head out of it, spitting out the water that was reminiscent to the taste of the melted victims' blood. "It didn't hit? But-?!"

Sukuna landed right on top of Yuuji, forcing his head back into the water. "Be grateful, brat. I even bothered to heal your arm and fingers."

Sukuna then sat on top of Yuuji's back, pinning the boy in the water, though it was shallow enough for Yuuji's head to pop up for air. "Grateful?! You ripped out my heart! You hurt Megumi and Ciel! You even ate those people!"

Sukuna merely sighed, looking incredibly bored as Yuuji resumed his tantrum under the weight of the cursed king. "I mean seriously! That was super fucking disgusting! Are you a curse or a vampire?!"

"Those were hardly people anymore," Sukuna responded.

Even Reverse Cursed Technique wouldn't be able to help them. Maybe keep them alive, but with the number of victims there were, their flesh fused to their organs and each other, it'll take a lot of cursed energy and time. Even then, there's no recovering their bodies to their original forms. These vampires from the west sure like their meals messy and moving.

"And it's not like I could even kill that woman. You saw it for yourself. I had a feeling she was hiding more of her powers and figured she knew how to heal that guy."

Figured being it was more or less for Sukuna to see just how much Ciel could do, and so it wouldn't have impeded him whether she could save Megumi or not. But the situation has changed. There was value in both persons, and he won't be letting either of them out of his sight.

Yuuji ceased his pointless struggle and took this time to look at his surroundings. "Where are we anyway? Hell? I don't like the idea of being stuck here with you."

"We're in my domain," Sukuna answered. "You can call it an Inner Domain. But essentially, my power is still in effect. Which means we're not dead yet."

Yuuji flinched as the cursed king resumed, "If you don't want to die, I have two conditions before I fix your heart and bring you back to life."

He raised two of his fingers, "Condition one: when I say "Enchain," you'll surrender your body to me for one minute. Condition two: you'll forget we ever made this pact."

"Well aren't you so sure of yourself, you conceited bastard," Yuuji angrily grinned at the curse, "You're full of hot air, but you're just afraid of dying, aren't you?"

"I'm interested to see what these monsters I've been hearing all about have planned for this city," Sukuna answered as he thought the faces of Ciel and Megumi, "It'll be an entertaining show alright."

"Fuck you. I don't accept that," Yuuji stated, understanding that his own life is on the life, but if it means bringing this guy to the grave with him, he'll do it without a second thought. "I don't know what you're planning, but it's definitely nothing good. You're evil, through and through. I'm not lending you my body again."

"Then I'll promise I won't hurt or kill anyone during that minute."

"As if I'd believe you!"

"It's not a matter of whether you believe me or not. It's a Binding Vow. If I ever break those conditions, it'll be bad for me. Get caught up in your selfishness too much, and you'll pay the price for it."

"But you were fine back then! When you fought with Gojo-sensei!"

"I wanted to take over then. You just changed back because your teacher told you to. If our interests don't align or find a common ground, it doesn't work, but with this agreement, it's infallible. I can't break this vow no matter what."

Yuuji stared back down into the blood water. At his hesitance, Sukuna said further, "Pretty sure there's a lot more going on than what that woman told us. If you don't want to miss out on all the fun, it'd be in your best interest to agree. You still want to help your friends, don't you?"

"…Alright. Just get off me already. I'll accept your conditions."

Pleased to have convinced the boy, Sukuna rose up from Yuuji's back.

"I don't get what you want to do," Yuuji said as he stood up. Water dripped from his clothes. "But if it's to help those guys…"

Sukuna smirked as he turned to face Yuuji.

Then met a strong punch to the face that sends the curse back by several feet. The cursed king's feet skidded across the waters until he made a complete stop.

"Then I'd better make damn sure you don't leave this place. Ever," Yuuji declared. "No way in hell you're not just going to make things worse. You really want to help? Bring me back to life with no conditions. I'm dead because of you in the first place."

"…You should blame that woman for killing you," Sukuna wiped off the smudge from the punch to his cheek, "Fine then, how about this? We'll have a fight to the death. If you win, I'll bring you back to life with no conditions. If I win, you follow my conditions. This is a Binding Vow. Understand?"

Just seeing how smug the cursed king was, Yuuji wanted to pummel that face into a pulp. Then again, it's his own face he was looking at, which only makes Yuuji want to punch Sukuna even more until the curse was completely unrecognizable. After what this so-called king had done to everyone, Yuuji is going to make sure this guy absolutely pays.

"Fine. Just don't start begging for your life when I'm through with you-"

That was Yuuji's last words before his head was cleanly sliced off, and everything went dark for the boy.

"There's still something I don't get."

Ijichi flinched when he heard Gojo spoke, looking over to the sorcerer, "Y-yes?"

"How did a curse that had one of Sukuna's finger end up in the same place as a vampire's lair?"

Gojo had been mulling over this ever since Ciel had told him how Sukuna was able to break free from her anti-spirit barrier. He frowned behind his blindfold. "Did the vampire bring that cursed finger? Or did someone else? But even if you people set that mission up to kill Yuuji, I doubt you'd be so willing as to do it knowing that a Dead Apostle was there. That would have been too risky even for you guys."

"I-I swear. We had no idea that a vampire's den had been hiding there," Ijichi fumbled, avoiding eye contact, "I-if we had known, I'm sure we would have canceled the mission."

"Well, let's not joke around and call it for what it is." A premature execution. "But even so, how is it that there's been so many undead and curses frolicking together lately? Someone either planted that cursed finger in that building, or it had been hiding there all this time without any of us knowing."

And the fact that it decided to spontaneously draw in curses enough to create a Special Grade out of any of them, it could only be the effect of Sukuna's revival. "But if someone did put it there, did they know about the Dead Apostle being there too? I just can't put together the reasoning behind it. If they did know, what were they hoping for by tossing a cursed object into that facility?"

And if they didn't know, then whoever was responsible just dodged a bullet, and Gojo's school avoided a serious catastrophe. Though really, it could all just be a big coincidence, except this is already the second time it happened, and should a third occur, then someone's either doing this on purpose or something else is bringing these monsters together.

What would have happened had the Dead Apostle suddenly returned that very evening? No, rather, there was no point in questioning it. If Ciel hadn't been there, his students would have been dead, along with a majority of other sorcerer assistants in the area, since vampires don't suffer the same restrictions as curses unless it was daytime.

No doubt the vampire had been hunting while the rain was out and it was nighttime. How miffed it must be to return home only to find nothing but rubble and a wasted "food source". That is if the Dead Apostle returned at all. The detention center, by now, was already surrounded by members of the Holy Church. It was no longer sorcerer jurisdiction, which Gojo imagined must have ticked off a lot of people. He doubts he'll be told of anything else those members found there unless he asked Ciel directly.

"Just what am I not seeing...?" Gojo said as he leaned closer to his intertwined hands. He can explain all the increase in curses due to Sukuna's return. Even with the host dead now, Sukuna's reawakening unsealed all the other cursed fingers. What happened at the detention center will happen again elsewhere. But what Gojo can't explain are the vampires. They should have nothing to do with Sukuna, so why are they here in Japan? What's drawing those monsters out?

The only way I'll get an answer is to pry it out of Ciel, and that's going to take a lot of curry breads that even his own wallet can't handle.

"Alright, I'm going to start the procedure," Ieiri informed as she put on her surgical gloves, a white mask over her face, and the dissecting equipment on a cart right beside her. "If I find anything, I'll let you know..."

Ieiri blinked when she saw the sudden bewildered look on Gojo's face, and the shocked look of Ijichi beside him. "What's up with you two-?"

"Whoa! Why am I naked?"

Ieiri's shoulders jolted in surprise when she heard the voice of the supposed-to-be dead body behind her, and she turned to see the dead itself have risen. Yuuji sat up casually from the table. His chest wound completely healed, as if never been harmed at all.

"V-v-v-vampire!" Ijichi couldn't help but shout as he backed himself against the wall. Gojo let out a small chuckle, patting the frightened man's chest with his backhand.

"Settle down. He's not 'undead,' just not dead."

"Well that's a bummer," Ieiri stated as she removed her mask.

"Um. Sorry, but can you turn away? This is kind of embarrassing," Yuuji asked the woman, a hint of pink in his cheeks.

"Yo! Yuuji-kun."

The revived boy looked to Gojo who stood up and approached him. A big smile on the man's face as he raised his hand at the boy. "Welcome back."

Yuuji blinked at his teacher, a slow smile came to him, and he raised his hand for his teacher as well, "Yeah! It's good to be back!"

An open palm-struck between the student and teacher, as the boy who died returned to the world with a good sting in his hand. The feeling of life coursing through his body once more.

Ciel walked along the sidewalk of a city block. The blue, blue sky cleared of any morbid weather. Her nun dress briefly fluttered in the wind as people walked past her. A fire truck raced by her with its screaming, flashing siren, and Ciel looked at its urgent drive through the parted traffic.

It's been over two weeks now. Ciel thought to herself, her eyes surveyed the area around her, looking for something. There's no question about it. Roa is here.

She felt it in her heart and soul. That elusive vampire who had been the blight and ruin of many, many, many lives. Having thought of this, however, she knew that the lair discovered underneath the detention center did not belonged to her target. The method used to restrain those helpless victims, it wasn't Roa's MO. Which means that another dead apostle has entered this city. What a horrible situation. To not only worry about vampires and undead, but also unfamiliar curses in this country.

Yet, despite this, nothing seemed to have gotten as bad as it should. She had been watching over Shiki Tohno for these past few weeks, interacted with him, but so far there had been no changes in his state. In the meantime, she had been hunting the undead at night, many more resurrected corpses pulled out of their burials, and fewer vampire servants, all while the blood drained murders continued to pile up. The fifth body being discovered this morning.

In spite of it all, it has been shockingly less eventful than all the other previous occurrences of Roa emerging at this timeframe. The only exciting thing to ever occur this week was Sukuna's rampage.

Was it still too early? Or was Roa taking longer than usual for a reason? Just what could that monster be planning? Yet, the most troubling break of pattern in his latest reincarnation...

The True Ancestor hasn't arrived yet.

Could it be that because of Ciel, the Holy Church was able to secure Roa's location first before the True Ancestor? Had the princess even awoken yet? No, of course not. If the True Ancestor did and was already here, Gojo would have most certainly noticed and probably ask Ciel about it, since the timing was all too close to the executor's own arrival. Or at least, that's what Ciel thought he would have done. He's a bit unpredictable to the executor at times.

Even so, she would have heard the sorcerers of this country be on high alert, but the only thing they were more concerned about was Sukuna. And the host was already dead now. It seems their next focus would undoubtedly be the Holy Church's arrival, and she can already foresee the sort of tension that will bring.

But Ciel can't let herself be concerned over the political matters between Jujutsu Society and the Holy Church. If it's true that the True Ancestor hadn't even awakened yet, then this was the church's chance to find Roa first and eliminate him permanently. It was Ciel's chance. Although, Mario Bestino is more inclined to collect Roa's research above prioritizing the city's own safety.

Regardless, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. To kill Roa before the Princess of the True Ancestors could. Yet, Ciel can't help but worry. Even if Ciel was a 'radar' for Roa, the True Ancestor shouldn't be that far behind. So why wasn't that woman here after two weeks of the undead and dead apostles roaming the streets of Tokyo? Why hasn't Arcueid Brunestud arrived yet?

Was there something blocking the True Ancestor's notice of Roa surfacing? Was it simply just not time yet? Ciel worried how much later could the True Ancestor take before Tokyo would become a city of the undead. Not that Ciel would ever let that happen. All she asked is for the True Ancestor to be a bit more considerate, however little choice the princess had over that.

Then again, Ciel would rather not let the chance of someone like Sukuna and Arcueid meet up. While no doubt at Sukuna's current state he would be easily defeated, Ciel was more so concerned about the aftermath of such a battle. The damage would have been worse than it had been between Ciel and Sukuna.

Either way, while Ciel won't waste this opportunity to kill Roa, some investigation is still in order as to why or how the True Ancestor's detection of Roa is being muddled. Anything that can deter the likes of that powerful vampire princess is a enough cause for concern. Ciel did notice a strange sort of energy that had been circulating all across Tokyo, and perhaps throughout all of Japan. Something like a shielding of a sort. She wondered if the shamans of this country might know something about it.

I may have to ask Gojo, and that was something she wasn't looking forward to in the slightest, never mind his flippant personality.

Ciel stopped when she spotted a flower shop beside her. Looking through the glass window, she saw all the bouquet arrangements of various flowers. Her eyes lingered to the white lilies put together in a single purple vase before she resumed her path, clasping her hands behind her back.

When I get the chance, I should bring some flowers for Yuuji-kun.

Author's Note:

Oscar Ye: Yes, it was a typo. Whoops. *sobs* Shiki Tohno is indeed in this story. We will be seeing him sometime later along with the rest of the Tsukihime Cast, though this won't be for a long while likely.