"Everyone ready?" Gojo was the one to ask as they stood around the magic seal on the floor, its light draining what's left of the earth.
"Naturally."
"Yes!"
"Ready."
Hearing this from Ciel, Yuuji, and Nanami, they initiate their dispelling ritual. Gojo and Ciel knelt before the seal, placing their hands at the edge of the mystical circle on top of its outer layer.
There was a reaction within the lines. The inner circles began to distort, and the seal began to let out a low, bell-like sound, as if shrieking. The symbols started to morph, but unlike before, it could not revert to its original state at the combined efforts of Gojo's Infinity and Ciel's magical powers. Sparks scattered as the seal attempted to deny their attempt to exorcise it.
At the seal's distress, Yuuji and Nanami struck their side of the circle. Yuuji unleashed Divergent Fist the same time Nanami used his Ratio Technique. The lines seemed to bend, stubbornly refusing to give in, until the effects of Yuuji's attack finally arrived, and the lines broke like twigs under his fist and Nanami's hatchet.
With their unified efforts, enforcing more magical energy into the seal, the seal eventually shattered. The light quickly died out, like a star going out in the night. The construction of ancient Magecraft was completely exorcised, though it should be noted that this was only a test seal. A smaller version of its original concept according to Ciel. The next time they would come across this elsewhere, it would likely take a bigger shape, and would require even more power to destroy it.
With the floor cleared of the ancient spell, the sorcerers (and self-proclaimed non-sorcerer) stood up together.
"-We should investigate the rest of the hospital in case there are anymore of these seals," Ciel suggested. "In the meantime, I will tell you all that I know about Roa."
She stepped out of the boiler room and walked across the hallway. Yuuji followed close behind, as Gojo and Nanami did the same. The sounds of footsteps, and the voice of Ciel, echoed in the dark. "Roa is an ancient vampire classified to be amongst the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors that exist in the world. However, he's a special case even to his own kind, considered as an "extra" as other Ancestors do not recognize him as one of their own. While the Church refers to Roa as the 28th Ancestor, he's a heretic to the other higher-ranked Dead Apostles."
They searched through the rest of the rooms in the basement as they overhear the executor's explanation. "He's not particularly strong for a vampire. At least, not anymore. But he is far more troublesome to deal with than even the most powerful Dead Apostles. What has him stand out are his abilities, able to overcome death itself. That may not sound unusual for a vampire, since they can recover from even the most fatal wounds so long as they have enough blood stored within themselves."
Ciel opened another door and inspected the room with a single glance, taking in even the most meticulous of details before proceeding to the next one. "Their vassals would also have ways to recover and repair their master's body, infusing them with potent blood. However, there are no vampires who can resurrect themselves from total annihilation all on their own. Roa is an exception to this."
She suddenly stopped and turned back to look at the pink-haired sorcerer behind her, seeing Gojo and Nanami checking the other rooms as they listened in. "Yuuji-kun, would you mind explaining to me what Samsara is? What the general concept of it is?"
"It's like a cycle of life," Yuuji answered. "When you die, your soul gets reincarnated into a new body, and you're basically reborn as a different person. You get to relive life all over again."
"Right. It is that exact concept that is precisely what makes Roa so special," Ciel said. "He succeeded in making Samsara into a type of Magecraft. Even if he dies, he comes back to life in another body, and retain knowledge of who he is."
"Oh. So like Sukuna?" Yuuji quickly fathomed.
Ciel gently shook her head. "While it may seem similar, unlike with Sukuna - whose soul was incarnated into your body after you ate one of his cursed fingers, Roa's method does not involve separating his soul into an object. Rather, upon perishing, his soul meanders across limbo, until he finds his new host. Thus, his soul does not "pass on". It simply went straight for the next person he is reborn as."
There was a long silence that fell between the sorcerers, even Gojo looked particularly serious, having no witty commentary to add.
Yuuji's eyes widened as he took in this revelation. "So... he really just dies, and comes back? Just like that?"
"How is he able to achieve that?" Nanami questioned, equally nonplussed by such a seemingly impossible feat. He highly doubted this man was Jesus.
"In life, Roa was once a great mage who sought for immortality, leading him to becoming a dead apostle," Ciel began answering. "His knowledge, and his understanding of the soul, had him achieve this feat, establishing a reincarnation system - a resurrection spell, so to speak. Roa's genius lay in defining the unquantifiable metaphysical concept that we call the soul, and modifying it into something that can be transmitted."
It's an accomplishment that surpasses even Mahito's own understanding of the soul, and perhaps Sukuna as well. Why else would the King of Curses needed to turn pieces of his soul into cursed objects in order to prolong his existence? Though the entire reasoning and situation surrounding that remained unclear.
"Think of the soul like an electromagentic wave, with the brain acting as both transmitter and receiver," Ciel continued. "Roa sends the information of his 'self' into a host of his choosing, so that when his body dies, his soul disperses and is transferred to his next body - particularly when a new life is being developed within the womb. This information then lies dormant in the fetus until it either reaches adulthood or becomes intelligent enough in its own right, and Roa effectively comes to consciousness."
"He just pushes his soul into some pregnant lady's womb?" Yuuji's brows crinkled in disgust. "That's fucked up."
"No kidding. I'm surprised I've never even heard of this vampire. He sounded like someone I should have known more about somewhere," Gojo said as he finished checking his side of the basement.
"There's a lengthy period of time between Roa's incarnations," Ciel informed. "He's recorded to have turned into a vampire somewhere around eight-hundred years ago. Between his reincarnations, it takes around less than a few decades for him to emerge in his new body. There's also the fact that he is incredibly elusive. Roa was originally a man, but depending on what sort of host he chooses, he could become anyone, regardless of gender, race, or age. What makes him particularly troublesome is that he's extremely difficult to uncover. He is a vampire, but through every resurrection, he is born as a human child to ordinary human parents. It is only when that child reaches adulthood that Roa emerges, and we are alerted of his presence after signs of vampire attacks reaches the Church's ears."
"Like the Blood Drained Murders in Tokyo..." Yuuji realized. After concluding their search through the basement, they make their way back for the stairs.
"Yes. Roa will only begin to mold the body and mind of his host into that of a vampire after they reach the age where they can act freely," Ciel resumed. "As such, until his host has matured, they will not exhibit even the faintest whiff of vampirism, nor the identity or memory of Roa. A side effect of this is that even after he awakens, Roa can continue to use his host's network of relationships to blend in and spread his influence seamlessly within society. The majority of the time the Church manages to detect him, it's already too late. The city Roa grew up in has already been transformed into a necropolis, and then he is put to an end the minute it reaches its zenith."
A whole city... Yuuji gulped. Millions of lives were literally at stake here.
"So not even Roa knows who he is until he reaches adulthood?" Nanami elaborated.
"Correct. However, even the part of the host's original personality - prior to Roa's awakening - isn't forgotten. You see, the memories and personality the host body develops as it grows are the memories and personality of that generation's Roa. So even if we were to look for signs that befits Roa's character, personality ticks, appearance, and so on, it would be impossible. Putting it this way, no matter who he becomes, how he behaves, or what his beliefs are, the name of his soul is "Roa", and so that is who that person is."
Ciel pressed her hands together in a prayer and held it up to her lips in thought. "Let's say, hypothetically speaking, Roa reincarnates into Yuuji-kun. Once Yuuji-kun reaches adulthood, he becomes a vampire, but it would be wrong to say that when Roa awakens, his soul replaces Yuuji-kun's. To say that he would switch place with his host, like Yuuji-kun could with Sukuna, would be incorrect. He wouldn't necessarily become a completely different person, but rather, Roa becomes Yuuji-kun, and Yuuji-kun becomes Roa."
She brought her hands forth to demonstrate, intertwining her fingers. "Their mind and body are molded into one, rather than retaining a separate will from one another. Roa is best compared to something like a disease, infecting and contaminating the host's existence. The result of that would be like waking up one day and finding your interests and preferences have changed out of the blue. It would be as if Yuuji-kun's favorite dish became something else, or that he all of a sudden decided that he hates udon (Yuuji: Gah! I don't want that to happen!), or that Roa would suddenly take a liking to dogs, despite being an animal-hater in life. But because he is influenced by Yuuji-kun's soul, their interests would essentially mesh together. That's what being infiltrated by Roa's existence is like."
"Creepy..." There were literal chills that crawled up Yuuji's spine as he heard this.
"It sounds as if Roa would not be able to sustain his own original personality," Nanami said, very much in agreement with Yuuji's reaction.
Ciel nodded. "You would be right. There are a lot of hurdles to starting life anew over and over again. To compensate, Roa narrows down his targets for reincarnation by implementing certain requirements. First, they must be the child of a wealthy family. If he's born into a family with high socioeconomic status, it makes it that much easier to turn all the citizens of that city into vampires due to the resources he would have available. Another requirement is that the host's body should be powerful. This one isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but more of a "nice-to-have". The third requirement would be to locate a male host, out of personal preference. Following these requirements, the Church would be able to put together a relatively small list of potential hosts Roa could have chosen, but until we have absolute confirmation, we can't simply start killing all the suspects at even the slimmest evidence of them being Roa."
"Yeah, especially if they're important rich folks that makes things a little tricky," Gojo said before pausing, and then turned to Nanami. "...Just out of curiosity, you haven't suddenly developed any allergies to garlic, have you?"
"If I was in anyway suspected of turning, I can assure you that you would find my body lying cold at the nearest bay," Nanami grimly stated (Gojo: Geez, I was just joking) (Yuuji: You want to talk about it, Nanami-san? We're here for you, man).
"I wouldn't recommend that," Ciel said as she crossed her arms, unphased by Nanami's disturbingly determined statement. A statement she felt on a spiritual level. "You could end up giving control to Roa faster that way. It's not his blood or personality that turns you into a vampire, it's his soul. But don't worry, I can assure you that you do not have Roa roaming inside you in anyway."
"Oh thank God..." Gojo and Yuuji together said as they held onto Nanami's shoulder, giving the man a side hug.
"I was worried I was gonna have to re-enact every "I know you're in there somewhere" scene from every movie. There's only so many pop-culture references I can cram into a sentence, you know?" Gojo added.
"I heard a true love's kiss is also pretty effective," Yuuji said, half-joking, but half-serious also.
Gojo snapped his fingers at him. "That's true! Pucker up Nanami. We're gonna have to be thorough about this-"
His right cheek was slammed by the edge of Nanami's hatchet, stopping the white-haired sorcerer from pushing his head and lips any further. The blonde adult was unamused by his co-workers antics, and he decided to pull Yuuji's ear as punishment also (Yuuji: Ow ow! Okay! Okay! I was only kidding!).
Ciel looked back at the men at the bottom of the stairway. It would appear that they weren't taking this seriously at all, but Ciel understood that that wasn't it. She didn't mind any humor they would show, as it was far better than to dwell on the looming threat that was Roa, and the dreaded notion that he could be any one of them; themselves, a civilian, or even an ally. Someone born a normal human being, their own identity established, and in just a short time, that identity would be robbed and twisted by the parasite that was the serpent himself, destroying the many lives all around him.
"So how do we stop Roa anyway?" Yuuji said, rubbing his ear as they walked up the stairs. "The way you make him sound, he's basically immortal, isn't he?"
Kind of like Ciel, he thought.
"Immortality and Resurrection are two different things," Ciel responded, quick to deviate any connection between herself and Roa. "Whereas my body is unable to die, Roa's existence does not die. His soul is tethered to the living vessels that is humanity - which are all potential hosts for him to reincarnate into. If he's already decided on a new host, then that's where it goes. If he hasn't yet, then it goes to a random fetus that satisfies his conditions. So long as mankind exists, so too will Roa. To counter Roa, it's my own ability that makes me best suited to take up on this assignment of hunting him down, but even my state has its limitations. Therefore, in order to fully destroy Roa, we would have to destroy his soul completely."
Figured as much, Gojo thought to himself as he adjusted his blindfold. This system of reincarnating sounds a lot like Soul Resonance. If he really does have a preference over which host he picks, then that makes us shamans a buffet of selections to him.
And all Gojo had to say about that was thank God Roa didn't choose Yuuta as his new host, taking the innocence, potential, and life away from that boy. Gojo was also pretty sure he, or even Rika, would notice if something like that happened anyway... at least, as far as he knows. He should probably give Yuuta a call later.
"There's something I don't understand yet," Yuuji said as they reached the upper floor and started roaming through the hall. He caught up to Ciel by her side. "If the host doesn't know about Roa, and it can be anybody, wouldn't they be someone innocent then? What if they don't want to do the things Roa is doing?"
"..." There was a concerning silence from Ciel as she kept her eyes forward.
"Shouldn't we try helping them?" Yuuji suggested, though even as the words left his mouth, he could already tell what his answer would be at the sight of Ciel's unchanging expression.
"It's not like developing a split personality," Ciel said evenly. "Nor is it a hostage situation - like what Sukuna did with you. Roa's soul imprints itself onto the soul that was already present within the body. When Roa awakens, his host becomes a vampire, and thus they become evil. Their vampiric impulses manifests, added with Roa's own violent tendencies. It doesn't matter how virtuous the host was up until that point; as a Dead Apostle, their very means of survival is now evil in the eyes of humanity. They will do whatever they can to sustain themselves, even if they were to feed on those they once cherish."
Like what happened with Satsuki... The sad memory of her death came as Yuuji looked down on the floor.
"-The host's body and personality are altered accordingly, and from that point on, there is no helping them. They switch over to being the vast accumulation of information and values known as Roa. His polluted soul gradually transforms the host's body, thoughts, and priorities, achieving monstrous feats. One capable of utilizing the information he has gathered over generations - at least, to a point."
"What do you mean?" Nanami asked.
"Even Roa's reincarnation isn't perfect. It's as you guessed, his original personality is slowly being erased with every resurrection. He begins to lose his sense of "self". His own ego begins to fade away, becoming nothing more than a malicious manifestation of the wills, history, and magical knowledge he has accumulated with every host he is born into. Just like a serpent after shedding their skins so many times, they hardly look or act in common with how they originally were before. As a result, he forgets how to use most of his abilities. Though, that depends on what sort of host he chooses as well. However..."
Ciel shifted her gaze to the windows. Yuuji followed her line of sight, and found himself looking at the moon in the night sky.
"-If he were to be given enough time, he could eventually recall his past knowledge in Magecraft, and be able to use it effectively. But unless his host has the same magical potential as he once did as a human - in other words, obtain a form that's just like his original body, he wouldn't be able to truly unleash what he is fully capable of. It's like being given a book instructing you how to build a rocket, and all you have is some paper to make a plane out of. But even paper is capable of cutting through wood, or give someone a nasty cut. Thus, Roa isn't necessarily weak. Even if he is handicapped, he has the capability to make use of whatever tools he currently has at his disposal."
The man is a known genius after all. Even if he's nothing but a depraved, blood-hungry beast now, such limitations wouldn't hinder him in the slightest. He's not merely thoughtless, he's intelligent. And that's what makes him a true threat.
"It's also one of the reasons why, to make up for his weakness, Roa chooses a host that comes from a "non-human" bloodline, such as Demonic Children or psychics - yes, Yuuji-kun, they exist too (Yuuji: Whoa!). Just to kill Roa in his original body took the entire force of the Holy Church, along with a third-party assistance. Thankfully, we no longer have to worry about fighting him in his prime anymore. Though, I suppose you might find that disappointing to hear, Gojo-sensei."
"Mm. Kind of. If he's as powerful of a mage as you say he used to be, I wouldn't mind seeing that for myself," Gojo said. His statement sounded similar to how Sukuna was brought up, acknowledging the strength and threat of another, but still in belief that he himself will come out victorious in the end.
Ciel clasped her hands behind her back as she added with a slight kick in her walk. "I figured as much. With how much his existence has plagued various parts of the world, his name alone is like a taboo. In a manner of speaking, you could say that Roa is something equivalent to being the Modern Day King of Curses."
There was no purpose of saying that last bit, she simply said it to undermine the present King of Curses here with them. Gojo smirked.
"Although, Roa never really uses any cursed techniques. None that we can say for sure on record," Ciel said. "He might be capable of using cursed energy, what with him being a magical genius and all, but he's always known to use Magecraft, preferring it more perhaps."
It'd be more accurate to say that Roa didn't have any cursed techniques at all, having no interest in pursuing the magical art of Jujutsu Sorcery after studying it once. Of course, only someone deeply familiar with the man would know this. This was also more or less what Ciel deduced to have happened, as Roa's memories of his own life had become muddled with every reincarnations - apart from one sole memory, buried in the deepest core of his soul.
"He's also noted to have a wide range of other abilities, having garnered it throughout the ages. A man of his power would have earned himself a very high position in the Mage's Association. I actually heard that he used to be a Presbyter of the Church - someone who supposedly founded the Burial Agency."
"Huh?! Hold on. You mean he started off your organization?!" Geez. Talk about irony. This is something Yuuji would hear about in a movie's plot twist.
"Alongside with another founder, though that's a history all on its own." Ciel then stopped in the middle of the hallway. She turned to the sorcerers. "So, now you know my real objective for coming to Tokyo. The Holy Church was able to determine Roa's presence here, and I - along with Noel - were tasked to deal with him accordingly, before his influence should spread any further and destroy this city. I would have revealed this information sooner, but it seems Roa is not the only problem Japan is currently facing."
"No kidding," Gojo said. It's like we're being bombarded by all sides here. I got a real bad feeling about this...
"There's also Mario's interest with Roa, but that's not any of my business." Ciel was here for one thing, and one thing only. "We have a method of annihilating Roa once and for all, but unfortunately, this is where I must stop sharing anymore information. It's not that I do not wish to, it's just..."
"Your superiors prefer it that you do not relay too much intel regarding Roa," Nanami quickly understood. Considering what happened with Itadori-kun, I can see where their concerns lies, and how our leaders may respond to eliminate this deathless vampire.
Whether sorcerers have the means to eradicate Roa's existence or not, the elders would have it that his host is killed immediately. Even if it will do nothing to stop Roa from simply reincarnating and starting all over, as long as Roa's soul ends up leaving Japan, that was all that mattered.
"That's exactly it," Ciel nodded. "What's more, Roa is an unusual variant as a Dead Apostle. Hence, it is best that you should leave it to my company to take care of him. Do not confront him on your own. Just as I made the mistake of underestimating curses, it would be equally unwise to underestimate Roa, regardless of how weak he currently is."
Seemingly concluding the discussion of the vampire, the executor stopped at another set of stairs that led up to one of the wings of the hospital. "We should split up here. There are still multiple floors to cover, and while I no longer detect anymore of the dead, there could still be curses, traps, and seals hiding somewhere."
"Good call!" Gojo loudly exclaimed as he grasped and released Yuuji's shoulder, walking past his surprised student. "Itadori-kun, you stick with Nanami-san and search through the West side. Ciel and I will check out the East Wing. If anything happens, give us a shout."
"Ah-" Before Yuuji would get a word in, Gojo was already moving ahead of them.
Ciel read the implication in Gojo's action, an unspoken message of "let's talk for a moment", and she accepted the invite. "Very well. We'll regroup at the rooftop once we completed our investigations. Nanami-san?"
"I've no objections," Nanami said before heading towards the stairs beside them. "Let's go, Itadori-kun."
"O-Oh. Alright." Yuuji was a little startled by the sudden switch-up, especially after getting the bombshell that was the invasive serpent known as Roa, but he followed without complaint. He gave a little wave to Ciel as he went after Nanami. "We'll keep an eye out for any more of those magic circles then. And for anything that'll lead us to this Roa guy."
After everything he heard from Ciel, this vampire was so much worse than what Yuuji imagined. If Roa had been invading people's lives, destroying cities for centuries, they have to put a stop to it. Yuuji can't let anymore people suffer like Satsuki did. They have to be the ones to put an end to this monster.
Ciel gave a cheerful smile, "I'd appreciate that."
Gojo and Ciel searched through the East Hospital Wing, finding no more living corpses or seals in each ward and stations. Only curses lingered, and even those were easily dealt with.
"Looks like that's the last of them on this side," Gojo said as he patted over the cremation fire on his shoulder. "In hindsight, it probably would have been better if we hid somewhere and see if our vampire ever comes back."
"I have a feeling he won't," Ciel said as she went on ahead. "If I'm correct that this whole building was simply a testing ground for him, then he'll be off to set more of those seals somewhere around the city. Grouping the dead together here was something he possibly did on a whim, with the curses being a subsequent side effect he decided to keep. He's essentially building an army to overrun Tokyo with his armada of ghouls and wraiths."
If the barrier is effecting Roa's body, then it would explain why he would resort to performing necromancy. It's simply easier to do so, creating a large number of servants immediately over having to suck blood and give his own one at a time - and that's if his vampirism would take immediate effect.
"-The humans he preys on may have a chance of surviving the transformation due to the barrier's influence, which gives us the chance to either purify the "poison" within their bodies, or give us time to find and kill Roa, severing the connection to his victims and cleanse the symptoms altogether."
They take another set of stairs that led them towards the roof, where it seemed the most disaster have trailed from. Rubble and old documents scattered across the steps, as if several people had ran through here.
"To take him by surprise, however, would be very challenging," Ciel said. "As a vampire who can read minds, you would have to completely erase your thoughts and scent so that he would not detect you. It's also best advised to approach him while he is preoccupied with another enemy, so that his focus would be directed elsewhere, leaving him open for an attack from behind."
"Essentially, take him out the Executor way," Gojo noted. "You're pretty good at doing that. You'd probably fit better in the Knight Order, though. With that flaming sword you have."
"I disagree. Although I may tend to confront enemies head on, if the opportunity presents itself, I would take the most pragmatic approach without hesitation." Ciel adjusted her dress as she climbed up the stairs. "I'm still a little disappointed that my Sword didn't end up reaching you. I was hoping that the light itself would be enough to bypass your Infinity. Or at least take up the "space" of your effects so that I could slip through, but it seems that was just wishful thinking."
"I get what you were trying to pull off, but it's really no different from shooting a hyper beam and hoped that its heat would touch me," Gojo said as he raised two of his fingers. "I'm not blocking it, I'm slowing down the attack itself. Trying to use something like the "speed of light" is a good idea, but all you did was just flipped the light switch on and turned up its brightness. Using up all that fire to drain the oxygen around us didn't work either, since I'd have plenty of air in me to get by just fine."
"I see. I would have thought that you adjusted your Infinity to take in certain elements in order to survive - such as sound or smell, with air being the most important."
"That's true. I do decide what does and doesn't touch me. For example, I can let oxygen into my lungs, but not any airborne virus it carries. If it's something to do with the senses, though, I've no problem adapting even if I lose my sense of hearing or touch. Slowing down attacks doesn't mean it'll eventually reach me either, but that it'll never reach me. It wouldn't be like leaving a candle lit in a slow moving train to burn out eventually before reaching its destination, but that the flame itself doesn't move. It neither burns the wax it stands on, or lets loose any smoke. It's just so slow, it's not doing anything or going anywhere at all."
He parted the two fingers he held up, "Also, the Infinity itself isn't a "space" per se. You can think of it like a rod that bends the space all around it. There's basically a lot of numbers to it, but I think you get the gist."
Indeed Ciel did. The concept of Infinity itself isn't any sort of boundary or barrier, but rather the manipulation of the distance between the user and the world around him. Throwing her Sword at him was like throwing a torch at outer space - a mere flashlight suspended in the grand void. There was no "weakening" it, and to get anywhere close to that, she would have to force Gojo into exerting all of his cursed energy, which would be almost impossible with his Reverse Cursed Technique constantly refueling his brain from ever frying out. A logical attempt to bypass his Infinity would be to strike at the moment he turns it off as soon as he delivers his attacks, otherwise, even his own hits wouldn't land. It's not a method Ciel would have liked, but she's certain she had enough pain tolerance to endure his dizzying, gut-wrenching blows.
Had I dipped into Roa's Knowledge somewhat, I probably would have recognized the mechanism of Gojo's Infinity sooner.
The concept of Infinity seemed to coincide with the study of Numerology somewhat, a subject Roa excelled in. However, there's only a small list of his spells Ciel will limit herself to, and she has yet to overstep herself beyond that small list to this day. She had been etching closer to that line recently, but never beyond anymore than that - no matter what Gojo may say about her using her abilities unwisely.
"-And you think you're sore about not winning? Imagine how I felt when you didn't actually give me your all? Deny all you want, but you definitely had better ways to try to get past my Infinity than just your Idea Blood reserves."
"Are you still complaining about that?" Ciel lets out a sigh as she opened the door and stepped outside. Her dress swayed in the cold breeze of the night. "I don't even see what you're so upset about. You didn't go all out either, and you still won the match."
"It wasn't really a match. I did say it was a warm-up exercise. And I can't really call it a win against someone whose only goal in life is to finally die."
"...Does it truly bother you that much?" Ciel looked back at the sorcerer following her. They stopped at the center of the roof, right by the place where part of the ceiling had been destroyed. The stars and moon overlooked the two specialized pair; the rarest gems of their respective organizations. "I may be your student now, but we're not exactly close acquaintances."
"Ouch. That's a little rude to say. You know a lot of people care about you, yeah?" Although Gojo wasn't sure if there were any such people in Ciel's organization, he could imagine at least a few of them exist. "You may not be the warmest person to work with, but that's nothing new for me. You're a little like Megumi that way, except he gets testy when it comes to something annoying him."
Or more accurately, when it comes to someone like Gojo annoying him.
"But when it comes to you, even at your harshest, most efficient moments, there's a bleeding heart deep down that doesn't want people to suffer. No matter how much you try to smother that side of you, or act like a remorseless killer to keep people away. Yuuji and Nanami, I can understand, but you don't have a reason to act like that around me, seeing as how I'm a killer too."
The memory came to him then. The blood splatter on the wall from a crushed skull. The body in front of him, his irreplaceable friend.
The silent witness who Gojo could sense from afar. Her choosing not to intervene. The immediate understanding that this was not a moment to step in, regardless of her assignment to assassinate the rogue shaman.
I would take the most pragmatic approach without hesitation. Certainly, that was the reason. The excuse used for not immediately striking down Geto at his weakest, but instead, chose to observe Gojo do so, in case there were other tricks the curse manipulator had up his sleeve - at least, that was what Ciel claimed.
But one would think when dealing with the likes of someone who brought 'that' into light, forty years earlier than anticipated, a member of the Holy Church would risk apprehending that shaman to bring him in for questioning - via torture or sealing. But no. That was not what happened. Whether it was out of mercy, respect, or simply the foresight of what going against Satoru Gojo would bring later down the line, it was simply let be. Like a police officer coming to arrest a wanted criminal, and allowed one last moment for the criminal to spend time with his family on Christmas.
In the end, that family ended up killing the criminal, no different from shooting him in the head while he was laughing at a joke that was said, but after that point, a death sentence was all that awaited for Suguru Geto. Between following through his duty as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, or letting the Holy Church take him, Gojo knew which he had to choose. If Geto was to die, it would be by his hand, and Ciel made no objections to it.
"I'm actually wondering if you only held back so much because you didn't actually want to hurt me," Gojo talked on as he walked towards the massive hole in the roof, walking alongside its broken edges. "Then again, you already knew about my ability to heal, so I would have been fine even if you managed to land a hit on me."
Yet, regardless of the way she went about it, Ciel never truly made an effort to kill Gojo, just as Gojo never did, regardless of her immortality.
"All you're trying to say is that I'm a 'good person', is that right?" Ciel stated in a deadpanned voice. She looked away to examine the roof for anything else out of the ordinary. "Megumi made the same assumption, but it's far from the truth, and you very well know that. Me knowing you can heal hardly deters the fact that I was willing to cook you alive, or suffocate you."
"Yeah. You can be harsh when you really set your mind to it, but you don't actually put your heart into it. You always have to put a spell on yourself just to keep your focus whenever you want to get the job done quick, and I can tell every time you use it. Honestly, that kind of trick would have been really useful to a lot of shamans at our school, but I'm getting sidetracked."
Gojo stopped at the edge of the ruin and knelt down in front of it, as if he was counting every single fragment that was down below. "What I'm saying is that there's a soft side to you, and that side is what's keeping you from going over the edge, and become something inhuman. It's both a positive and a negative trait, because as much as you care, you make decisions that separates you from others, including those affected by those choices, so when something goes down, we wouldn't know until after the fact it already happened."
"If this is about me staying silent about Roa, I can understand the discontent of having to be told of him this late," Ciel said apathetically. "We were never truly aware of how extreme the situation has already become. The Church is slow when it comes to responding a crisis - worse if the crisis itself is escalating at a fast pace, leading me and Noel to make our own judgment calls, despite Noel still in training and has yet to fully grasp her own privileges as an executor. Besides, we would hardly expect a warm welcoming from sorcerers, whose cousins from across seas we are often at odds with, with a history as bloody as the Dead Apostles we hunt. I wouldn't be surprised if your superiors would blame us for all the vampires running rampant across Tokyo. Likely, they'll accuse us for planting them here as a political stunt to overwhelm their numbers with massive workloads."
"I'm not that fussy about Roa. You keep a lot of secrets but I'm used to them already. And I don't really care what the elders think or have to say about all this. They can curse up a storm, but they won't pull themselves out of their offices if it's something they can't handle. They might actually have to put their lives on the line for that. What I'm a little bothered by is if you kept some things to yourself because you either want to handle it alone, or you purposefully try to keep us in the dark just so we wouldn't get involved."
"..."
"Your little act in distancing yourself just to protect us, something you tend to do with everyone, is super fucking annoying." There was an exaggerated vex to his statement as Gojo stuck his tongue out. Standing up straight, he turned to face Ciel again. "It's also dangerous. You keep marching yourself into that battlefield alone, you might not hear the people calling for you to come back through all that gunfire."
Especially when the people who mattered needed you.
Ciel read that last bit of thought in Gojo's head, wondering if he was referring to himself with Geto, or Ciel with Satsuki. The executor looked away and stared up at the stars. "That seems a little ironic, coming from a man who sees himself standing alone on top of a mountain."
"Sure, but I make the time to visit and climb my way down, and I can't handle everything on my own. I can do anything, but not everything all at once. You're making progress so far, but it still feels like you're shouldering most of the burdens yourself." Gojo walked until he was standing beside Ciel, lifting his chin to peer up at the night sky as well through his blindfold. "It's a real lonely feeling, being the best at everything. Call it egotistical if you want, but by being the best, there isn't anyone else you feel you can lay your burdens to. Even the stars are just millions of light-years away from each other, making the illusion that they at least have themselves to keep company, but that's not the case at all."
He made a face that was between a grimace and curious. "Heck, the fact that you feel you can't even come to me for that kind of stuff, makes me feel like I'm not that strong in your eyes, or you don't feel like you deserve to have someone understand you. Unless there's something more about this vampire that has you locked in, a reason why you want to fight him by yourself. With how long you've been in Tokyo, I'd say you probably got a list of suspects at hand already, don't you?"
"...Apologies, but I'm afraid I cannot disclose any more information," Ciel lowered her head and closed her eyes. "Orders aside, I might end up revealing something that could obligate you to giving a full report to the higher ups of your society. They'll feel inclined to make an immediate response to that report, and I certainly cannot have that, not after what happened with Sukuna."
"You think I tell the higher ups everything? Even if, or after, they find out I was hiding Yuuji, what are they gonna do about it? Fire me?" He said knowing well that the option to kill Gojo was already an impossible suggestion that none of the elders actually have the power to do so, nor risk losing their greatest asset in their industry.
"Perhaps not, but it is also why I cannot tell you everything," Ciel refuted. "You are a valued asset, but even with your powers, you are not invincible. Underneath that veil of Infinity is still a mortal man. Even if it would cripple your school immensely, if your superiors feel that you have stepped too far out of line, I imagine they won't hesitate to take whatever opening or weakness you have should they discover it. They did it once with Yuuji-kun, who's to say they won't attempt to pry for anything else - or if someone else would?"
"Mm. I guess they would be petty enough to do that. Still, if it's from someone who's stronger than me, then I wouldn't mind how I'd go out. I'd be fine with that if it means getting to prove who the strongest really is in this world. It kind of hurts though that you don't have at least a little bit of faith in me. I know there's a bunch of monsters out there, but I'm pretty tough too."
"It's not that I don't see your strength as unreliable, far from it. I just can't help it, I suppose. You're just as alive and full of imperfections as everyone else is. You're untouchable, but you still feel. You mourn, you express anger, and you share joy with others. I may not fully understand you, nor do I desire to be the strongest in order to do so. I have my own reasons for that, but what I can see even past your incredible feats, is a human being wanting to connect with others despite how far apart you feel from the world around you."
Opening her eyes once more, she looked upon the moon in its glistening silverness. "Now that would be truly isolating. If I were to unpack all my burdens onto you, or to anyone else, that would be overreliance, don't you think? I would wonder who would you turn to then, or if you would have anyone else to rely on after that? If you say being the best is a lonely feeling, then I certainly wouldn't want to add to that, even if it is rather haughty of you."
"...Heh. That might be the nicest thing you've ever said. You really are worried for me. Pretty sure 'friends' do that."
"...I believe that spot has long been taken. I don't intend to intrude on that."
There was only one friend to Satoru Gojo. Someone he would call an equal, even to this day that the man named Suguru Geto was no longer a part of.
Hmph. Softie. "Come ooon! We could go out and do karaoke together, with Nanami and Yuuji. It'll be a double-date! Or we could take a trip to the mountains and have a real match between us. Sure, you're totally weak right now, but you just need a little more incitement. Maybe I'll bring in some curry breads and toss them over the edge to- okay okay! I'll stop poking your cheeks, you can put those swords away now."
As he watched Ciel do so, hiding her black keys back into her dress, Gojo lets out an amused smirk and pocketed his hands in his uniform, "I might still be human by flesh, but you're no different. Even if you are immortal, you're just as human as everyone else is. It might be your choice to give up some of your burdens, but we shamans can be pretty stubborn, and you'll find a lot of us aren't going to give up until you do."
"I take it that means you don't intend to let me achieve my one desire, should I happen to find the means for it." At the face of Gojo, Ciel lets out another sigh.
"Nope! Not a chance," Gojo asserted with a big smile on his face. "And if that means saving Yuuji just so you have a reason to stick around, then I wouldn't mind putting in all my effort to make that possible."
The memory of Yuuji neatly folding the clothes of a vanquished undead, giving his prayer to the ash pile as he must have done to his grandfather. Ciel's eyes softened.
"Although, we should probably keep this quiet around him. I have a feeling Sukuna might try to pull something just to spite us." Gojo added that last bit with a murmur before turning his head to the door they came through, where he heard footsteps coming up. "Until then, stop thinking about the future, or the past. Enjoy the moment now, while you still have it. That's pretty much a guarantee for you anyway."
At least, until Ciel managed to make herself mortal again. However she'll be able to accomplish that, Gojo will be sure to keep an eye on her, just as he will for Yuuji.
"Hmph. You make it sound as if my curse is more of a 'gift'," Ciel lightly scoffed at such a notion before she too looked at the entrance, her expression growing gentle at the sight of Yuuji waving at them. "Though, I suppose it had its merits."
If it all led her to that living ray of sunshine in the end. She supposes she ought to thank Roa for that then, and for the lazy princess slumbering away in her castle. Ha ha...
"Hey! We finished checking our side of the hospital," Yuuji announced as he and Nanami walked towards Gojo and Ciel. "No seals to report. A lot of curses though, but we took care of those."
Concluding the conversation between herself and Gojo, Ciel responded to Yuuji with her arms crossed thoughtfully, "I see. It's the same for us here. Other than that big, gaping hole over there, and some curses we came across, I sensed no other anomalies on this side either. It seems we've completely cleansed the entire building of every ghouls and ghosts we could find."
"Seems like it," Gojo followed up. "That about wraps things up for us then. Just to be safe, we'll have someone keep an eye on this place, in case something happens again. If it does, we'll be the first to know."
"I'll be sure to give my report to Mario then," Ciel said. "He'll be anticipating it after we leave here, without a doubt. He'll also likely send in his own team to do another sweep of the hospital one last time."
"You guys sure are thorough," Yuuji said in amazement, thinking of the potty-mouth child and his serious expression.
"It's actually not out of benevolence," Ciel revealed. "Well, I suppose that depends on how you look at it. Mario's main interest is to acquire Roa's research on immortality at his grandfather's request. His grandfather holds an esteemed position within the Church as Cardinal, someone who works directly for the Pope (Yuuji: whoa, that is esteemed). The Cardinal, from what I hear, has not been fairing well as of late, and so seeks a method to extend his lifespan through Roa's studies in his earlier years as a human."
"Good ole' corruption! That sure hits close to home," Gojo loudly japed. He sometimes wondered why the Church and Jujutsu Society have to keep such an estranged relationship. Their old folks clearly got a lot in common. They could have an amazing bingo night together.
"It's certainly not an unfamiliar case," Ciel admitted with an etch of disappointment. "It's also rumored that the Cardinal has gone mad to obtain any sort of longevity - provided that he remains human. Hence why Mario is insistent on having Roa sealed off and cornered by his people, rather than allowing anyone else a chance to kill him."
"Doesn't that imply that he intends to prolong Roa's life in order to interrogate him for his research?" Nanami pointed out.
His words shocked Yuuji. "Wait, what? Is that true?"
Looking back at Ciel, he found the executor looking fairly pensive despite her calm face. "I wouldn't doubt that's what Mario has in mind. If we are to confront Roa, he'll likely push it back as far as a week before giving the go ahead to kill him. By then, reinforcements would have gathered, but it would also give Mario enough time to get what he needs, stalling the Church's efforts to eliminate Roa right away. It's one of the reasons why he and the Cardinal preferred that I do not indulge anything to you about Roa. It'll make him even more dangerous in the eyes of your superiors, and they would put pressure into destroying Roa immediately, or perhaps there would be an interest to obtain his knowledge first, rather than allow the Holy Church to acquire it."
"No way..." Yuuji started off quietly, feeling his heart rattled. "They can't be serious. This guy has been killing who knows how many people. We can't just sit back and let him walk around. More are going to get hurt or die if that happens!"
What Roa did to those victims. What he did to Satsuki. Yuuji refused to leave that monster be for that long. If someone were to tell him this about Mahito, he'd be friggin pissed.
"I agree," Ciel said in an upbeat voice, hands on her hips. "Unfortunately, even as a member of the Burial Agency, I can't go against the word of a Cardinal. However, if I just so happened to come across Roa first before Mario, I have it in my authority to see through his execution. As much as I hold empathy for Cardinal Laurentis - in spite of his insatiable lust for women (Yuuji: Eh? Is that allowed?) (Gojo: People working for the Church aren't as "holy" as they seem), it is as Yuuji-kun said. More people will only suffer if Roa is not dealt with at once. However, it's also not as easy to kill Roa right away. His powers aside, the weapon I have to destroy his soul completely is not so conveniently at reach. I'll have to go and pick it up before delivering the final blow to Roa, but that would require leaving Roa be, and I wouldn't trust that even if I were to unleash all my black keys on him to keep him in place. He can simply bypass the rites embedded within those weapons."
"Because he was a Presbyter once," Nanami recalled Ciel's explanation of Roa's past as a human. "With that, he must know everything there is to know how an executor fights or their baptism rites - and for his ability in Magecraft, he must know how mages like us fight as well."
"Possibly. Though, I'm not sure if he's ever fought against a Jujutsu Sorcerer before," Ciel said. "It would still be wise to take caution, and I strongly do not recommend fighting him yourselves, apart from Gojo-sensei."
"Regardless, I agree with Itadori-kun that this Roa shouldn't be allowed to wander," Nanami declared. "No longer than that cursed spirit Mahito already has. Even if Bestino were to ask us personally to stay out of it, I won't be following that order."
He's a grown adult after all. He would not be taking orders from a child as ill-mannered as that one.
"That's even more true since we don't work for the Church," Gojo said, lightly clapping his hands in a rhythm. "So they can't order us a-round~"
Ciel expected that. It's only been over a month, but she's worked with these people long enough to know it. "Even so, I still don't approve. Gojo-sensei aside, the only thing I will approve is if you can stall or weaken Roa long enough for me to bring in the weapon that will permanently null his Reincarnation and self-healing ability, but that would also be too dangerous. Therefore, if you or Yuuji-kun are ever in a situation where you're confronted by Roa, do not hesitate to kill him, regardless if I'm in the area or not. He is not to be trifled with and should not be allowed to fight any longer than necessary."
There were conflicting emotions in Yuuji's expression as he gave a nod. He knew he couldn't let that vampire live, and yet if killing Roa meant that Roa would just reincarnate elsewhere, they'd be dooming another city that way too. Also...
Hearing that Mario wanted to save his grandfather, Yuuji felt empathy for that little boy, even if this compassion of his would only get him cussed out by that rude child.
"Now then, I'm quite tired of talking about Roa," Ciel suddenly stated, breathing out as if it were a yawn. "Seeing as how we've cleared the hospital, and I've told you everything there is to know about that annoying vampire, I believe we should call it a night."
Yuuji looked at the girl curiously as she suddenly walked towards him. "Ciel-? Whoa!"
In swift motions, Yuuji was lifted off the ground. Ciel without letting out another breath easily picked up Yuuji, cradling him with her arms around his back and under his knees, as if he were a trophy.
"If there's nothing more to be said and done, I would like to take Yuuji-kun home with me now, and unwind."
There will be lots of cuddling involved.
"Mmmmmppph! Ciel...!" Yuuji had his hands over his face, hiding his burning red cheeks like a bashful bride. It was a playful gesture, with Ciel wearing a proud, puppy-dog look on her face. She turned for the door, carrying her abashed boyfriend along as he quickly latched onto her, and they made their way back downstairs, heading for the main lobby where Ciel planned to put Yuuji back into his box.
The adults watched the couple go about their merry way, and Nanami in his ever unaffected self turned to Gojo. "Will you be telling Yaga-sensei of what we learned here?"
"Yaga-sensei for sure, but I'm still deciding if we should tell the higher ups everything," Gojo answered. "Ciel is right about one thing, those geezers are way too antsy when it comes to anything that could overturn their influence in Japan. If they hear about a Cardinal wanting something from that ancient vampire, that'll make them even more nervous. Maybe they'd be willing to catch Roa themselves for what he knows, thinking they'll have a better shot talking to him than they ever would with Sukuna, especially if Mario thinks he could."
Either way, if it's true that Roa's host could be amongst the most powerful and wealthy individuals in Tokyo, then not even the elders would risk crossing with them if it means losing whatever support and substantial power they have. They got away with getting Yuuji killed because he was just some ordinary orphan boy from a small town. But to do the same against someone with money and social status to their name, the news would be all over it, and even the government might be inclined to step in - not that they haven't already set foot into Tokyo's issues, from what Gojo's meetings with Mario entailed.
Still, who knows what the elders are willing to do to get rid of this particular vampire amongst several other Dead Apostles in Japan. Maybe Ciel has a point in not telling them everything, so that not everybody will catch word of it somehow, and make matters worse for them.
Eight-Hundred Years. Gojo mused to himself as he raised his chin to the starry night sky again, at all of its infinite glory. They've been fighting this Roa guy for that long. He must be one persistent fellow.
Not only that, but Eight-Hundred Years... That was about how old Ciel's magic was, from what Gojo could tell. He decided to file away this little notice for now.
Author's Note:
Ciel: You could consider Roa as the Modern Day King of Curses.
Sukuna: Ex-fucking-scuse me?
I have a feeling Ciel wouldn't miss any opportunity to diss at the King of Curses. Unlike Gojo who at least gave some respect, Ciel wouldn't be as courteous. If she can face against the likes of Red Arc and not hesitate to taunt her when it came to Shiki (which wasn't a smart move on her part but love can make people do stupid things lol), then she'll do the same to Sukuna (again, not very smart on her part).
Thank you RandomLurker for informing me how Gojo's Infinity works. Let me know if I managed to accurately describe it nicely enough in this chapter or not.
Also, I'm sorry for the fluff. I cannot promise if not more will come. I do think it's annoying but I also love Ciel and Yuuji together so much. Please rein me in if it gets too overbearing, I'll try to edit it out.
Remember to refresh for any responses to your reviews at the end of the chapter! Or send me a PM! (Not that it matters since apparently everyone knows when I update chapters. Heh. My bad...)
Answering Reviews
RandomLurker: It makes me so happy to hear that even the author struggles with keeping up with his own plot points and power systems. Now I don't feel so bad for being a fraud writer anymore XD. Gojo would be the best person to deal with Roa and keep him immobilized, hence why Ciel would prefer it if Gojo is the one to confront Roa, instead of Nanami or Yuuji. However, Roa is noted to be very well-versed in Numerology, and while this subject isn't explored in Tsukihime, the implication that it involves a lot of numbers just as Gojo's power does leads me to consider that Roa may have a way to handle Gojo's cursed techniques, which is really interesting to consider that it might be a close battle between them.
But that's if Roa were to gain complete control. If SHIKI remains, then Gojo would have the win, although it'd be funny to consider that not a lot would effect SHIKI mentally because of how friggin insane he is - to the point where not even Roa could overcome SHIKI's will. Makes me wonder if SHIKI could handle Sukuna's soul too? Now ain't that a fun little concept? SHIKI being Sukuna's Vessel, and Yuuji being Roa's Host, and neither are giving in to either monster's wills.
I imagine that once Roa looks upon the vastness that is Unlimited Void, while the effects of it is an interesting topic of discussion, I imagine there'll be a split second when looking upon the stars, it takes Roa back to his life as a human, searching for that "eternity" he dedicated and even ruined his life to obtain.
Voltsy: I'm just as surprised that there aren't any TsukixJJK fanfics, which motivated me to write my own. My understanding and knowledge in the Nasuverse lore is very iffy, especially since I've gotten into Tsukihime since the Remake came out and I stumbled upon video summaries of the story. I'm even MORE shocked that someone recommended this fic! I can't handle that much publicity man! I really don't know what I'm doing! I'm literally doing this for the romance anyway because Yuuji's going through some serious shit in the series and he and Ciel deserve some comfort.
jordanlink7856: Thanks so much! It really is my favorite part of this chapter and I'm happy so many people enjoy the interaction between them!
Hmmmuhhh: Thanks! I hope it'll be just as nice in future chapters!
FerociousGrape: Yuuji really is just an adorable guy, truly hug-worthy. Reading Ciel and Gojo having their talk while listening to the Tsukihime OST - Main Theme Tsukibako Version really adds the ambience of the whole scene.
Guest: I think Mahoraga would be a pretty interesting - albeit concerning creature that the church would need to send a very strong agent of the Burial Agency to deal with. Depending how far away Caren is, she might be able to notice him, although it'll only become more prominent the stronger Mahoraga becomes/adapts to strong attacks.
I'd say Mahoraga is something worth being looked into. Probably something similar to how the Holy Church would react to the likes of Heracles going on a rampage. They'll have to deal with him quickly.
Toji was very well known. So much so that the Church hires him or offer him a place in their organization. He wouldn't get along great with anybody though.
Thanks for reading folks! See you next time!