Yuuji sat on the wooden floor of a studio apartment, with a bed behind him and a glass coffee table in front of him. The room was simple in its design and furniture. With yellow curtains on the sliding back door that led to the balcony. A brown table and chair at the corner of the living room with a single white flower vase there, holding three white lilies that slouched as if they were weeping. And a single French painting on the wall.
Yuuji clasped his hands together in front of his nose as if in a prayer and took a deep breath. ...I'm in a girl's bedroom.
This probably would have been more exciting if Ijichi wasn't here, who was currently adjusting his watch as he sat at the side of the coffee table. Nanami had put the spectacled man in charge of keeping surveillance on Yuuji, and apparently, as Nanami puts it, to make sure nothing "gets out of hand" between Ciel and Yuuji. Honestly, just what does that first-grade sorcerer take Yuuji for?
I mean, sure, I'm as much of a guy as any other guy, but I'm not some weirdo.
Although, Nanami could be referring to the fight between Ciel and Sukuna that happened at the detention center, which is a bit more understandable.
Ciel walked out from the kitchen that was connected to the rest of the room. She carried a tray in both hands with a tea set on top of it and sets it down on the glass coffee table. To Yuuji's pleasant surprise, she brought a small basket of tea cakes along as well.
"Help yourself with the cakes. I just finished baking them this morning," Ciel ushered, earning a thank you from Ijichi.
"Eh-? You made these?" Yuuji asked, even more surprised as he already held one piece of the tea cakes before Ciel would even finish pouring his cup to fill.
"That's right. I happen to like baking, and I started to make more treats recently."
She had Nobara to thank for that. The girl personally asking if she could try Ciel's baking one of these days, and the executor happy to oblige.
"No way! That's awesome! These are super good!" Yuuji said as he takes half a bite of the treat. (Ooh! It had chocolate chips this time!)
Ciel puffed her chest proudly, "Of course. I spent over a decade working on my craft, but don't think flattery will get me to soften up."
With a sigh, Ciel crossed her arms, "To be honest, I was considering bringing along one of my 'tools'. I think one in particular would have suited for this occasion."
"Tools?" Yuuji asked, taking a sip of the warm, delicious tea.
"Yes. One of them you had a personal taste of. Do you remember?"
"Really?" Yuuji frowned as he did his best to remember, looking up at the ceiling as he searched his memory while drinking his tea.
Let's see... Was she talking about those swords? Although, he remembered hearing Ciel call them black keys when she was fighting Sukuna. Or maybe it was that rifle...wait a minute.
"Ah," Yuuji came upon the only other weapon in mind, and he looked back at Ciel. "Do you mean... that bazooka Fushiguro-san brought?"
Ijichi nearly choked on the tea cakes he was eating.
"It's a pile bunker, but yes," Ciel said, offering that saint-like smile. "It's especially effective against liars- ah, sorry, vampires. Now that I think about it, I wonder if that's the case with you, Yuuji-kun? Hmmm?"
...The air seemed to have gotten really, really cold, despite that warm smile on the vampire hunter's face. Ijichi, without being subtle at all, slid back and away from the coffee table, leaving Yuuji betrayed and baffled by the man's behavior. Ijichi raised a hand, as if to say 'sorry, but I was told to watch you, not protect you'.
"I mean... I did really died though, I wasn't 'lying' about that," Yuuji wondered how anyone would after that seriously convincing 'death' he just went through.
"But you did keep your survival a secret," Ciel pointed out before letting out a disgruntled huff, "Though, I imagine it must be Gojo-san's idea. Before we should discuss that though..."
Ciel looked at Yuuji's shoulder, seeing that fixed fabric of his sorcerer uniform. "How is your injury? I know that Nanami had you see Doctor Ieiri after that encounter with the spider-ghoul. Has it healed well since?"
"Oh. Yeah, it's fine," Yuuji said, rolling his shoulder to demonstrate. "That whip didn't pierce all the way through. I can move my arm around pretty good. It's like I didn't get hurt at all."
Though he said it as if it wasn't a big deal, Ciel thought otherwise. That spider-ghoul had enough power to stab through even steel. For Yuuji to not lose his arm the second he was impaled, his cursed body must certainly be tough. She supposed they ought to give their thanks to Sukuna, not that the curse deserved it.
"I see. I would have tried to heal you then, but I was unsure how my sacraments would have affected your body. You being half-curse and all."
Although, thinking back how Sukuna was able to infiltrate the sacraments in her black keys, she wondered if the curse would have been able to endure her holy magic if he consumed more of his fingers. To be so strong as to resist even that. What an unnerving thought.
"That's alright. I'm glad you helped Nanami first," Yuuji said. "You're a pretty good healer. You even healed Fushiguro back then too."
He held back the painful memory of him nearly killing Megumi, and smiled widely at Ciel, "Being good at baking, and helping people. You're really amazing, huh?"
Ciel was startled by the compliment. She glanced to the side, feeling a little embarrassed despite herself. "It's…nothing. There are plenty of other healers that surpasses me. Though, now that you brought it up, I'm still honestly shocked to hear how limited healers are around here."
Ijichi observed the two teens with a passive look. Noting how much Ciel looked like a girl of her age, despite being the same girl who fought toe to toe with the King of Curses himself. He flinched when Ciel turned her attention to the man in the room. "Is Ieiri-san the only main doctor to tend to other sorcerers in Tokyo?"
Not only being a mortician, but a healer and, from what Ciel heard, on the field medic that prompts Ieiri to be busy in almost every occasion imaginable.
Ijichi nodded. "That is correct. While we do have a medical team, those who are able to use Reverse Cursed Technique - especially those who can perform it on others, are very rare in our line of work. They're quite invaluable among Jujutsu Society. Even Gojo-san is only able to use it on himself."
"Reverse Cursed… that's basically healing others, isn't it?" Yuuji asked, finally catching onto the phrase after his in-class lessons in Jujutsu School.
Ijichi confirmed with another nod. "It's an extremely difficult ability to use, unlike mages in the west, or those among the Church who can use healing spells."(Ciel: *cough* Sacraments.)
"Through magecraft, you mean?" Yuuji asked, taking another bite of the tea cake. "In that case, how come sorcerers don't use that instead?"
Ijichi's face strained, "Well… magecraft and cursed energy, they don't bode well together."
Ciel took over as she gave a short and frank explanation, "They're fundamentally different. Those who can even wield both types of sorcery, they have to be very exceptional people. But for many who have trained their bodies to use cursed energy, it completely negates magecraft, rejects it even. You could say that those who can use cursed energy, can no longer be expected to use magecraft."
A true testament to how "cursed" these curse users are. Though people like Ciel are an exception to that, however 'cursed' she remained.
"It's like trying to combine fire and water. In the worst case, while opposites may attract, something might just explode along the way."
"How extreme…" Yuuji said, sipping his tea.
"And that's not even getting into the nitty-gritty of thaumaturgy as a whole," Ciel added, taking her cup of tea to her lips, "While 'curses' are known within the mage community, they're not really taught in their schools. The jujutsu schools in Japan are the only schools in the entire world to completely dedicate their teachings in cursed energy."
"F-For real?" Yuuji stuttered. Geez, talk about being the underdog of magical powers.
"Curses are far behind the Schools of the Middle East regarding the subject," Ciel continued, a soft pitiable tone that made Ijichi lower his head, the man embarrassed to hear it. "It's more of an elective, and you don't even need to accept the credits it offers, if there was any to be given. It's simply an unpopular area of sorcery, hardly anyone outside of Japan sees any use for it. You'd be lucky to find a pamphlet about it at the corner of a library collecting dust."
"Seriously?!" Yuuji thought back his first-hand experience of Gojo utilizing his sorcery against that strong curse with mount fuji on his head. That entire space that looked like they were in the middle of the universe, and even before that, the curse summoned a domain of nothing but fire and magma. That's considered useless? Yuuji wondered how strong those mages in the west must be to think that way. Or if they ever even met his teacher Satoru Gojo?
Not only that, but with every word Ciel said, Ijichi sulked further and further, until there was practically a dark hanging cloud over the spectacled man's head who basically got called his ability "utter trash" in the terms of Western Mages. Yuuji visibly expressed his pity for the man, hell, even he felt bad after hearing that, and he's barely getting started in training his jujutsu sorcery. Like that was way too harsh. It didn't even look like Ciel realized it.
"You people sure love to underestimate curses, don't you?"
The three occupants within the studio apartment flinched at the deep voice emanating from the side of Yuuji's face. Sukuna's eye opened within Yuuji's scar, and his malignant grin spoke only blight as he spoke to the executor in the room. "How about the next time we fight, I slice you apart completely, and see if you can still call it 'worthless' then? Or did you forget who had you by the throat last time?"
Ijichi stumbled back in his seating with a frightened expression, holding up an arm however useless it would have been against the King of Curses. Ciel regained her composure and glared at the twisted spirit.
Yuuji immediately slapped over his cheek. "S-sorry! He pops up sometimes. I don't really know how to-"
Sukuna's mouth reemerges through Yuuji's backhand, resuming his spouts of cruelty and sadism towards the girl in the room. "I'll get this kid to watch it all too. If you think making him into a cannibal was the worst thing I can do, just wait until I get my hands on you."
"Would you stop?! You absolute creep!" Yuuji continuously slapped over the mouth of Sukuna in anger. Geez, if only he could punch this guy just once to shut him up.
Ciel was absolutely unperturbed by the curse, crossing her arms, "Good grief. I did sense you, but it seems you really did survive that night after all. Haven't switched to your indoor voice I see."
Like dealing with a rowdy neighbor, Ciel sets down her tea, "As attractive as your proposal is, I'll have to decline."
"Huh? Attractive?" Yuuji asked as he and Ijichi dumbfoundedly stared at her. Sukuna even popped open an eye to see how serious she was with that tone.
With a winning smile that could make all the men and women swoon, she added, "I'd rather not spend time with a curse who shriveled up the moment I brought something that packed a bigger heat. Who knew you'd be so shy?"
...Was she into that sort of thing? Damn, and she was a nun too.
"...feh." Sukuna's eyes seemed to slacken, the fun ruined by Ciel's... whatever that was, and he retreated back into his prison-shell of Yuuji. The boy continuously stared in total, duck-faced astonishment as Ijichi, for whatever reason, gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"Anyway, this does bring us back to focus, namely about your current condition, Yuuji-kun," Ciel said as she reverted to her serious stare to Yuuji, "How did you survive that night? I have a hard time believing that Sukuna helped you, but I suppose it wouldn't be that far-fetched if he did it to save his own life."
She probably could have asked Sukuna, but she doubted that a curse like that would be so forthcoming. And who knows what he could have done that would be detrimental to Yuuji's wellbeing.
"I..." Yuuji scratched the back of his head, "I honestly don't know. I know that sensei told me something about maybe making a contract with Sukuna."
Ijichi visibly recoiled in terror at that. Whoops, Yuuji forgot that Gojo had the man cover his ears at this possibility. Great, now the guy's going to look at Yuuji like he's more of a vampire now.
"But I don't think we did that."
A look of relief in Ijichi as the man sighed.
"How can you be so certain?" Ciel said with a frown, bringing anxiety back into the spectacled man once again.
"Um, well... I don't remember it?" Yuuji helplessly stated.
Ciel grabbed her chin in thought, "You remember nothing after your death?"
Yuuji shook his head. "Not before I woke up again. I think me and the other guy talked, but I'm not sure what it was about."
"Hmm..." Ciel peered at Yuuji, theorizing in her head. If it's something to do with sharing the same soul, but one of them was unable to die, then the other would be revived by the World to keep its 'natural order.' Could that really be the case though...?
And if so, it was something she never would have wanted for the boy to suffer through. If she hadn't decided against pulling the trigger of the Seventh Holy Scripture, this wouldn't have been a problem. Good grief, she really is too nice.
However, if what Gojo insinuated to be true, then what sort of conditions could Sukuna have done to make Yuuji forget? No doubt the curse wanted his freedom, so it was possible that one of those conditions could be to assist the curse in that regard. However, with Yuuji's selfless act to die from his wounds, it almost seemed unlikely that Yuuji would have accepted any deal even if it's too save his own life. Though, she'd be even more concerned about Yuuji's attitude towards his own life. She really wouldn't have blamed him if he wanted to be saved somehow.
But now begged the question, if Yuuji and Sukuna did make a deal, then what were the terms the boy had to follow in order for that deal to be fulfilled?
It couldn't have been something as easy as wanting complete control over Yuuji's body, otherwise, Sukuna would have already been on a rampage by now, especially with Gojo out of town. Or was he perhaps waiting on his chance to collect all of his remaining fingers before he should make his personal debut? That's certainly a far more likely, if downright terrifying possibility.
The chance of that was too tremendous, Ciel found herself agitated no matter how calm she appeared outwardly. If that was Sukuna's plan, then surveillance on Yuuji should be taken into even greater account, one which she is unsure if she can simply leave it to the sorcerers with how limited the presence of their strongest members are.
Roa was her main priority, but should Sukuna be set loose into the streets of Tokyo, for both monsters to be wreaking havoc at the same time, this entire city would become a graveyard, nothing but the land of the dead and curses.
That only leaves me with one option.
Clenching her fists against her knees, Ciel asked her next question, "Who else knows about your revival?"
"Gojo-sensei, Nanami-san, Ijichi-san here, and Ieiri-san," Yuuji answered, counting his fingers as he did so.
A handful of people. They're certainly being careful and discreet, though Ciel wondered what Gojo intended to do if he planned to reinstate Yuuji as a sorcerer at his school. Honestly, that man should have bothered to do this from the start.
"And your current residence?"
"It's at an empty warehouse. I've been watching a lot of movies in the basement as part of my training. I know it doesn't sound like it, but it's helped me a lot with controlling my cursed energy."
Ciel closed her eyes in thought. It was a bit strange how movies could help with Yuuji's handling over his powers, but as boastful and clownish Gojo can be, the man's methods are usually effective. Far be it for her to assume how a jujutsu sorcerer trains anyhow.
"...Alright then. I've decided," Ciel said, sounding rather peppily as she gives her endearing smile. "From now on, you're going to be living here."
"...wahuht?" There was a mixture of words and syllabus that contorted out of Yuuji's mouth. After staring at Ciel for a long moment, he slowly turned to Ijichi to make sure he heard that right. Ijichi looked just as taken aback, slowly turning to Yuuji as well.
After their silent confirmation with each other, they slowly turned back to the executor, who was still smiling at her two guests - one now declared to be her new roommate.
"...huhwaa?" Yuuji tried once more.
"You heard me," Ciel said in a chipper voice, placing both fists at her hips, "I did kill you back at the detention center, therefore, it's my responsibility to look after you."
"Ah, wait..." Yuuji said, raising a hand, "You didn't- that wasn't-"
"U-uhm, Ms. Executor..." Ijichi spoke up, "I... I don't think... We told... or rather, Nanami-san told us that we should return after..."
"I don't intend to disrupt Yuuji-kun's training," Ciel interjected before Ijichi could say more. "I'm simply giving him a place where I can keep a close eye on him. I may be a vampire hunter, but I have a holy duty to respond to all forms of the supernatural. I'm not simply reserved to deal with only vampires."
Ciel then stood up, "You're also welcome to stay close by, Ijichi-san. I'd even be happy to deliver all my reports regarding Yuuji-kun to you. That should be satisfactory enough, yes?"
"Uh, well, that's-"
That's not quite the issue here, was what Ijichi wanted to say, but before he would gain the nerve to say so, Ciel started for the door.
"I should go and get some more groceries. Feel free to finish the tea and snacks. I shouldn't take too long."
With that, the girl left the stunned sorcerers in her humble abode.
...Am I dreaming right now? Yuuji thought to himself as he pinched his cheeks.
"I..." Ijichi began, pulling out his phone, "I should let Nanami-san know about this..."
As he began to dial the number, he looked up to see Yuuji still in a daze. A thoughtful look on the teen as he held his teacup close to his lips, staring at the small basket of tea cakes before looking out the window. Judging by the tint of color on Yuuji's cheeks, he was hiding a small grin behind his cup.
"...Just so you know," Ijichi said, gaining back Yuuji's attention, "I don't have that much experience with women, so I can't really give you any good advice."
"I-I wasn't thinking about that!" Yuuji hastily tried to defend himself, abashed.
"Ah... right," Ijichi suddenly became depressed, his head slumping between his shoulders and instantly bringing guilt to Yuuji. "It's not like I'm Gojo, who gets attention from all sorts of women, though he's rather careless with all of them... actually, there is one advice I can give you, don't listen to any of his advice when it comes to romance."
"Oh... yeah?" Yuuji said, looking actually attentive.
The spectacled man nodded seriously. He might get a slap in the head for talking bad behind Gojo's back, but he'd like to at least get back at Gojo for all the stress-inducing situations he'd been put through... and so long as the strongest sorcerer never heard a word of this.
"There are cursed spirits called First Grade imagined apparitions," Mahito explained to Junpei and Satsuki.
They were within a sewer-system chamber. The only source of light was among the walls. Grime and water below their feet. Junpei sat at the edge of the walkway with Satsuki sitting beside him. The vampire girl wore a fresh, new set of clothes, brought by Junpei who had used his allowance to afford them - the odd looks he got from the other shoppers and cashier made him want to curdle up in embarrassment.
"-even if it doesn't exist after leaking from people's innate cursed energy," Mahito continued, "if it's shared amongst other people, frightful rumors become a living amalgamation of negative emotions, and from that, manifests a powerful curse."
"Rumors between people - like ghost stories? Or hearing about monsters on tv?" Junpei looked over to Satsuki who also paid close attention, "Like news about a vampire roaming the streets."
The Modern Day Vampire; Satsuki Yumizuka. Responsible for the deaths of eight people now, and the growing terror of all the people of Tokyo. Junpei had to admit, he didn't think the identity of the gruesome killer would actually be a schoolgirl around his age. She looked so… normal. He was kind of expecting a serious-looking monster. Although, vampires do have super strength, so even a girl at her build could take down several older guys if she was something completely inhuman.
"But is that really how I was made?" Satsuki asked, doubt in her dull-brown gaze, her bloodlust subsided. "I was human before. Can humans really become monsters just by stories alone?"
"It's possible for a human to become a curse," Mahito answered, remembering all that he's heard about the infamous King of Curses. "In your case, Satsuki-chan-"
"H-Hey, I never gave you permission to say my first name!"
"-if the stories about how vampires are made are true," Mahito resumed without losing a beat, reading a book of a very famous vampire story as he rested in his hammock overhead. "…You could have been confronted with a vampire-like curse without realizing it, and it turned you into one. But there also has to be a starting point, who made Dracula into a vampire first, after all?"
He turned the page of the book, reading the chapter where the female character, Lucy, was showing signs of vampirism.
"You could very well be the beginning of a new age for vampires."
"Huh…" Satsuki said, looking down at her swinging legs over the edge of the walkway. Junpei looked at the water beneath Satsuki.
The impurity of the water allowed the vampire's image to be seen, although muddled. Her blurry visage an obvious contrast to Junpei's. Junpei has read stories of how silver impede the reflection of a vampire, making it so that they aren't seen on mirrors and the like, thus the famous myth of vampires having no reflection was born. He wondered if digital cameras would be able to see them though.
"Do you guys suffer from blood lust as well?" Satsuki inquired the curse above.
"Not really. We don't necessarily depend on it for survival. Although, it is a choice for some curses to eat people. But for you, you really can't go a single day without drinking any blood. And yet, your body can hardly stand so much intake of it."
Closing the book in his hand, Mahito settled it over his chest. "You told me before that there's certain types of blood you need for your body to accept. Those with the same genetic information of the same living organism - in other words, humans like you. Animals wouldn't do at all. Did you had to experiment a lot to figure that out?"
"No…" Satsuki answered, pulling at her white long sleeves, her clothing reminiscent to her other school uniform. "It's more of an intuition, or instincts actually. After I became like this, I suddenly understood a lot of things. My body hurts because it's being destroyed really fast. What I have to drink to survive, that I have to avoid sunlight, and that there are… certain people I need to watch out for."
"Jujutsu Sorcerers?"
Satsuki hummed as she pulled up her knees, "I don't think so. Well, they might cause me some problems. But I think there's another group that I'm… that something in my heart tells me to look out for. I feel like, as soon as I see them, I'll know for sure."
"Hmm," Mahito looked at the ceiling in thought, "I did hear that there's been another group that's come to Tokyo, since almost a month ago. They're something called executors."
A strange chill crawled up Satsuki's spine as soon as she heard it. Enemies, her instincts told her.
"That might be it," she said, "It feels like I should know them, and they're definitely people I need to keep my distance from. Or at least, until I feel strong enough to face them."
She felt her stomach growl and her tongue dry, and she pulled her knees even closer, pressing her mouth over them.
"Yumizuka-san?" Junpei noticed her sudden change and called her name with worry. He turned to her. "Is it happening already?"
"Hungry again?" Mahito craned his head to the side to look at the girl and her huddled figure. He reached into his back pocket. "Here. This should satiate your blood lust for another day."
He tossed over a small object. Satsuki immediately stood up, surprising Junpei at her speed as she caught the item, like catching a loaf of bread after she'd been starving for days.
"Let me know if you're still feeling that thirst afterwards. I may not know entirely, but I think I have a better grasp at what's happening with you," Mahito said as he laid back onto his hammock. "The difference between you and those undead you create, you're like the Ant Queen, and the Ant Queen needs to feed while her colony grows. But unlike how worker ants are supposed to deliver you food, you're left to do all the hunting yourselves. I'm definitely not wrong about you working almost no differently from those undead, which means someone really did turn you into a vampire."
He sat up then, an elbow against his knee, he rested his chin against the palm of his hand, "But somehow, you avoided becoming zombie-like. Not only that, but the stronger you become, the more blood you'll need. It's come to a point where you can't just drink anyone's blood anymore. With what I've been giving you, you shouldn't have to worry about losing control of your bloodlust, so long as you keep stockpiling those."
Uncurling her fingers, Satsuki looked at the shriveled piece of flesh that was once a human. A permanent expression of agony in the facial structure of the piece of soul, and her fangs sunk into it without hesitation. Devouring this piece of human.
It was refreshing, like eating a full-course dinner from a candy bar. She knew she shouldn't think this way towards another human being. She also knew that, this alone, was enough to deem that curse Mahito a monster.
But Satsuki herself was a monster too. A murderer. No longer human. It was hypocritical to consider the immorality of this, as even when Satsuki tried so desperately to resist, to hold onto her good nature, to bear in mind what others would think of her, her survival came first and foremost. If she hadn't sucked the blood of those people she's killed – however innocent or guilty, she would have suffered a slow, agonizing hunger worse than death. Before then ultimately dying.
She didn't trust the curse, but Satsuki needed to survive. The pain of her bloodlust had just become so unbearable lately, that she couldn't wait until nighttime anymore. That day at the back alley, the weather had been so cloudy, it gave her a safe cover, while also risking more people to spot her. It was like she was a wild animal, a tiger savoring the warmth of her preys' essence, and she struggled to either lament in horror or relish her delight.
But their blood hadn't been what she needed. She could taste the alcohol in their bloodstreams, and they were smokers too. She also believed that blood types have been an issue as well. Mahito was right, Satsuki no longer had the luxury of picking whoever wandered the night alone. Whatever Mahito did to these people that became her go-to breakfast, lunch, and dinner bar, they were able to stave off her bloodlust without her body rejecting it.
It's been too many weeks since she's had to feed. Some days, she could feel herself at peace. No hunger or thirst, just living her new life at night like she's under a stasis. Other days, it's been nothing but a hellish experience, to the point where her only form of joy was the thrill of the hunt and its bounty. This was the first time where food actually came easy to her, all because another hunter had been prowling for the same prey as well.
If this is what it takes... Satsuki thought to herself as she finished her meal, the cursed object of the human nothing more than crumbs she licked off from her fingers. If being a killer means surrounding myself with other killers, then maybe...
She'll be closer to understanding the boy she liked, and his subdued, killer instinct that had her stop cold. Her rescuer on that cold night a long time ago.
"Do you feel better?"
Satsuki looked back at Junpei who asked her this. This strange boy who didn't flinch at her blood-soaked breath and eyes. He wasn't a killer, but he certainly was estranged.
She wasn't sure what to make of him yet, but he seemed harmless enough. And after their meeting at the back alley, his constant visits to Mahito's lair where he brought it upon himself to bring Satsuki some of the human essentials she'd missed though no longer need as a vampire, where they talked, learned more about each other, and just simply hung out. It made Satsuki aware of how lonely she really was, even before she was turned into a vampire.
Satsuki smiled. A sweet smile of the girl who still seemed alive in her humanity and caring personality, "Yeah. I'm okay now."
A tinge of red in Junpei's cheeks before he looked away sheepishly.
Satsuki sat back down next to him. "So, if I'm getting this right..."
Her red eyes looked back up at the curse, "The more people spread rumors about something they fear, their negative emotions compiling into that curse, the stronger that curse becomes."
Junpei grasped his chin, "Doesn't that mean it doesn't have to just be monsters people are afraid of? Like natural disasters."
"Exactly. You guys catch on quick," Mahito expressed. He stared at the two teens for a moment before smiling, "You know, it's really fun talking to you two. I've never met a vampire before, and it's the first time a human is willing to hear me out for so long. It's pretty relaxing."
"Ah-! Well-! That's..." Both Satsuki and Junpei stuttered in embarrassment. They shared a look to each other before glancing away with red faces.
...Oh, that's cute, Mahito noted with a small chuckle. "Earthquakes. Forest Fire. Tsunamis. These are natural disasters that humans fear. The amount of cursed energy, these negative thoughts, that are put into those fears are too big. Therefore, once those fears manifest into a living curse, those powerful cursed spirits - First or Special Grades as Jujutsu Sorcerers likes to call them, they go into hiding and train themselves, just as you're doing, Satsuki-chan. Even without you knowing."
He then added with a hint of pride, "They're also my closest comrades."
Junpei looked at the stitched curse in amazement, "Then, what kind of curse are you, Mahito-san?"
"Human." Mahito laid back into his hammock as he outstretched his arms. "I'm a curse that was born out of the hatred and fears of other humans. I guess you can call me a living embodiment of malice."
Night fell over the city of Tokyo as Junpei and Satsuki walked the streets of a quiet neighborhood. The serial killings had the people stay indoors, their terror of the night and the vampire who lurked in it granting this fairly peaceful atmosphere of the usually busy city.
Junpei looked over to Satsuki who was staring out at the view of the city over the railing. The buildings and its dazzling lights while the deep blue sky continued to darken. Her lost in thought expression as if in longing. A look of melancholy, like she was the only girl left in the world.
"Are you sure you shouldn't stay with Mahito-san tonight?" Junpei asked Satsuki, bringing the girl out of her trance and gazed back at him.
"Ah. No..." Satsuki answered. "He may have helped me, but..."
"You don't trust him yet?" Junpei guessed.
The girl nodded as she looked at the pavement they walked on. Silent for another moment.
"I think he really does want to help you," Junpei said, giving his two cents in the matter. "I do too. Well, I don't know how I could help, but..."
He wants to at least get the chance to know her and Mahito better. To know more about their worlds he had never known before. To know something that other people at his own school didn't know or could fathom. Was it out of ego? Curiosity? Junpei wasn't really sure of it himself. All he did know is that he wanted to become a part of that somehow. To escape from the atrocious realism of humanity and their grotesque behavior. Their false sense of superiority, while real monsters were out lurking right underneath their noses. It's ironic how a curse and a vampire have been the most courteous to Junpei than any of his fellow humans had ever been - apart from his own mother and few friends, of course.
Satsuki observed Junpei in surprise, "Really? Even though I almost bit you?"
That day, when Mahito, Junpei, and Satsuki left the crime scene and settled in Mahito's hidden base in the sewers, as Junpei helped Satsuki, the girl suddenly convulsed. When she looked at Junpei with those bright red eyes, he was paralyzed. Figuratively and literally. Like a spell casted from her gaze that made him instantly immobile - hypnotism, a classic vampire ability. He really should have known better, especially after all the movies he's seen.
She pounced on him then. Her fangs protruding as she started to salivate over him. The saliva that dripped onto his cheeks. Junpei never knew what fear was until that very moment. His life flashed before his eyes, and all he could do was watched with a trembling expression. Waiting for the moment the sharpness of her fangs entered his neck. It all happened so fast, and the only thing that ran through his mind was the question Satsuki asked him at that back alleyway.
Do you want to become a vampire?
He neither said yes or no. He hadn't had the chance to think of all the pros and cons yet. How his mother would react. How life was never going to be the same and that he could kiss his time in the sun goodbye forever. Become immortal. Rely on nothing but blood. He didn't have time to process it all, but the flashes of memories that came, the hell he endured at school. The awful people who tormented him, and those he was supposed to rely on, the adults who simply walk past him and his concealed scarred face.
He didn't know if he wanted to become a vampire or not. He didn't had the chance to consider if he'll even survive the process. All he could feel was that he was ready.
Then Mahito came to the rescue. Nothing so epic or with haste. He just casually inserted that weird, crusty small object in front of Satsuki's teeth to "see what happens", as the curse later explained. Satsuki then switched her target to the cursed object in her mouth and started to consume it. She calmed down then, removing herself from Junpei, and with a weak expression, almost in relief and regret, she uttered her apology to the boy.
"You're not a bad person," Junpei declared softly, answering to Satsuki's question. "You didn't ask to become a vampire, right?"
She was given as much of an unfair hand in life as Junpei.
Satsuki looked away in sullen, a crack of a fatalistic smile, as if in sad amusement to her predicament. "I didn't. But I'm not sure if I should keep calling myself a good person. After everything I've done, I still wonder why you're not afraid to stand so close to me."
"It's not your fault. You couldn't control yourself," Junpei said. "And you needed blood to survive."
"I do, but..." Satsuki began, eyeing back at the boy curiously, "Don't you feel a little bad about the people I've killed? It could have been someone you're close to. Or the fact that they were human like you."
Junpei took a moment to consider his words. He stared out at the city lights past Satsuki. "If it was someone that mattered to me, like my mom, then yeah, I'd hate you. But I don't know the people you've killed. I'm not even sure if I should feel bad. They could have been jerks, or they wouldn't have cared about me."
He then looked at his own hand, "I know the ugly side of humans. That's why I don't really expect anything from others, and I don't think anything of their deaths. This indifference, it's something that all humans should have. We wouldn't hate each other, or go out of our way to torture each other."
"I see..." Satsuki glanced at Junpei's covered eye by his hair. "I'm not sure if all people should be indifferent, but I think it does help us ignore the weight of our own actions. When I killed for the first time, I felt really bad. But I was cold and alone. I didn't want to disappear, so I just grabbed a random person and sucked his blood. It felt good at first and tasted delicious. The pain went away, and it felt like I could do anything."
She takes a gander at the moon overhead, "But before I knew it, it was all gone. The man shriveled up like a mummy, and I thought to myself that I was turning into a monster, both in mind and body. But I had to do it in order to live. It's not like I killed those people because I hated them. I suck blood the same way people eat animals. I don't think I was being indifferent, I just decided not to think about it too deeply."
"That's fine then," Junpei said, surprising Satsuki. "If I had a button that would kill everyone I hated, I wouldn't press it. If you killed them because you hated them, then that'd be wrong. But what you did, it wasn't anything personal. So... I don't think you should feel bad for only wanting to survive. Or at least, I don't blame you. You have a better reason than most people who just prey on others for the sake of it."
"Huh..." Satsuki muttered out, letting out a small smile. "I wonder if it's that simple? But, it does feel nice to hear it."
She shyly beamed at him, grasping her hands behind her back. "Thanks, Yoshino-kun. You're a bit odd, but I think I like having you around. It's been too long since I spoke to someone, so I'm really glad we're able to talk like this."
"Ah, y-yeah?" Junpei scratched his head, another round of embarrassment came to him. He rarely gets talked to by girls, most of them being downright bitches with hideous hearts at his school, looking down on him.
He glanced back at Satsuki who took another gander at the city view, more at peace with herself than before. She didn't have anything that made her stand out, and yet, Junpei did find her to be a lot prettier than all the other girls he's seen.
...What am I thinking? Idiot, Junpei sighed at himself. Well, it's not like I couldn't notice it.
A murderer and a vampire, and yet, she was more honest about herself than anyone he's ever met. It was kind of refreshing. He can't help but think she was pretty for that.
"Are you still thinking about becoming a vampire?"
Junpei flinched at the question, dragging his hand down to his neck, the spot where he'd been nearly bitten by her. "I... I'm not sure now. It looked pretty scary, but I think I'm still a little interested. I just... I need to take care of some things at home first, before I should make up my mind."
"Mm. Yeah. You definitely should," Satsuki encouraged, a sad look in her eyes. "When I became a vampire, I didn't have the chance to say my goodbyes to my parents or friends at school. Once you turned, your old life might as well be gone."
She paused for a bit before adding, "I also still need to practice a bit more how to turn someone into a vampire. The failures that didn't make it through the process... well, you saw them for yourself."
"Ah, yeah..." Junpei grimaced, still holding his neck. It's definitely better she didn't drink my blood back then. I'd rather not become a mindless corpse.
Changing the uncomfortable topic, Junpei then asked, "Do you... see your old home sometimes?"
"At first I did, for a few days," Satsuki answered, "But then I stopped going. It just became too painful to keep doing it."
"I see... I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
Junpei looked down at Satsuki's swaying hands before diverting his gaze back to the path in front of them. "...If it means anything, if I do decide to become a vampire like you..."
Satsuki looked back at Junpei who had his eyes ahead. "...No. Sorry. It's nothing."
Backing out, Junpei tried to cease the conversation, but Satsuki continued to look at him curiously.
"What is it?" Satsuki pressed.
"I-It's kind of dumb," Junpei tried to excuse, avoiding eye contact. But feeling her vampiric gaze as if pressing a stone wall against him, he caved, "I was just going to say, well... If I do become a vampire, then with Mahito with us, it'll be like we're forming a team of... superheroes."
Satsuki stared at him, then suddenly she broke into a fit of giggles. Holding back her laughter with her hand as Junpei determinedly faced ahead with a reddened face.
"Yeah, I guess it does seem like that."
Surprised, Junpei looked back at Satsuki and her smiling face. A face that hadn't had a good laugh in a long while, and expressed her gratitude to Junpei. "Though, I think it's better to just call it as it is. A group of monsters."
She suddenly hopped onto the railing. "My hideout is just this way. Will you be staying on this path, Yoshino-kun?"
"Ah. Yeah. My house is on the way."
"Then I'll see you around. Oh, and one more thing, my friends like to call me Sacchin. You can call me that too, if you want."
With those parting words, the vampire Satsuki leapt into the sky, and was gone in that very instant. Junpei was marveled by the inhuman feat, staring into the night sky where stars were slowly beginning to appear.
"...You can call me Junpei." He said to no one, having no courage to say so earlier before the girl's departure.
"The answer is no."
"Nanami-san-"
"It's an absolute and adamant no."
Nanami declared to the executor in the room as Ijichi and Yuuji were at a safe distance. Tension was in the air, and only Nanami was showing his cooly expressed, yet disapproval self at the face of the unwavering executor.
"I don't wish to undermine your authority," Ciel began, "I'm only arguing that, as a First Grade Sorcerer, you are called to duty more often than those ranked lower. I'm also not undermining Ijichi-san's skills in any way. I have more than enough faith in his abilities if there is a reason you placed him in charge of watching over Yuuji-kun."
Ijichi mildly blushed at the compliment, internally desiring more of such praises. Yuuji looked at the man as if he was a weirdo.
"I have the means and essentials needed to properly observe Yuuji-kun and the entity that resigns within him," Ciel resumed, "If you find myself overstepping on sorcerer jurisdiction, then at the very least, I can provide surveillance over him nearby, since we'll be exchanging information over the vampire and curse situation anyhow."
"It's not a matter of trust, authority, or you being an executor," Nanami adjusted his specs, "I'm saying no."
There was no counterargument. It was a simple, straightforward response. Ciel had to admit, she never met one so difficult and stone-faced as this stubborn sorcerer was.
"A man and a woman living together should only be allowed through matrimony," Nanami ignored the embarrassed flinch from Yuuji. "And leaving children unsupervised isn't my particular style. Regardless of how gifted and trained you are."
"I know I don't look like it, but I've lived for about as long as Gojo-san has," Ciel stated with a hint of embarrassment at the matrimony statement, as well as the amazed look of Yuuji at her longevity - it seemed Gojo had already told him - and the shellshocked expression of Ijichi - it seemed Gojo had not told him. "I'm unageing, not inexperienced."
"In any case, you are still a child."
There was the barest, annoyed twitch of Ciel's brow at Nanami's blunt statement.
"I acknowledge your strength," the blonde man stated, "and no doubt you have the tools to oversee Yuuji's condition and the bomb that is Sukuna. I've heard stories of Executors being able to cut down ancient vampires, many of which Gojo-san tells me you have killed. You were even able to fight Sukuna. But I'll be blunt, I don't give a shit."
"Geez, so scary..." Yuuji trembled beside Ijichi, "Is he always like this?"
"Yes. Very," Ijichi confirmed with an unnerved face.
"Living long doesn't mean you are qualified to bare the responsibilities of an adult," Nanami continued, "Your Church may think so, but I do not. While you have not leaked to your superiors of Itadori-kun's survival, I frankly don't approve of their methods to allow you this much freedom to work alone."
"Not even if it's to your benefit?" Ciel said, confused by the man's logic.
"That is not the issue here. It is how much you are willing to put yourself to work," Nanami answered, "You would suggest letting yourself be Itadori-kun's sole guard and handle everything yourself. I don't agree to that. You're far too young to consider working double-shifts, all the while you're on the hunt for these dangerous vampires lurking in the streets."
Ciel blinked in surprise. She was honestly caught off guard by Nanami's reasoning. He was more so concerned about Ciel's well-being than he was letting Yuuji and her stay close together. She didn't take for there to be sorcerers this considerate, especially towards someone who technically killed one of their own.
Although, being looked down upon like a child is rather aggravating.
"Now, now, Nanami-san. There's no need to be so hard on her."
Speaking through Nanami's cellphone on the table, listening in on speaker this whole time, the voice of Satoru Gojo brought everyone's attention to him. The strongest sorcerer currently out of town on another business trip.
"Honestly, I don't see the issue with her looking out for 'Yuuji-kun'. It's better we keep Ciel close by anyhow. Now that she knows he's alive, we might as well have her be part of the team."
"I disagree," Nanami said, "While I don't object working with her, I'm against letting Itadori-kun stay at her place. It's inappropriate."
"Um, don't I get a say in this?" Yuuji raised his hand.
"No," was Nanami's immediate answer.
Ciel sighed, crossing her arms, "It's not as if I have any ill intentions in mind. My apartment is warded with top of the art spells and bounded fields designed to deal with both vampires and curses alike. Should Sukuna be set loose on another rampage, my room will surely keep him from going anywhere. And with enough touch ups, I could even help Yuuji-kun suppress Sukuna."
"Ohh," Yuuji once more expressed his amazement towards Ciel, earning another cute prideful look from the girl.
"Could you set that up at the warehouse?" Nanami asked.
"I could. But it would take time, and that's to make sure I don't accidentally cancel out Yuuji-kun's cursed energy while he's training. Since he's already been to my room, it should have automatically adjusted to his presence. To do so at an entire warehouse on the other hand would be a little more challenging. Especially in regards to the King of Curses hiding inside him. A small place to focus the potency of the bounded field more effectively is also best recommended."
"I understand that your apartment only has a single bedroom."
"Not to worry. I have an extra mattress," Ciel said chipperly. "While I understand, and may even agree with your worries, Nanami-san, I'm sure I can trust Yuuji-kun to be a good roommate just as much as he can trust me."
Nanami looked back at Yuuji who was startled by the man's scrutinizing gaze. "...I somewhat doubt that."
What do you take me for?! Yuuji wanted to scream at the man, but he was a little embarrassed.
"Besides," Ciel said, grasping at her hips, "I don't stay in my room for that long. I have a duty to attend school every weekday, while at night I go on patrol for vampires. I'm also technically not working alone. I came to this city along with my pupil, who's currently at work at the moment."
"Eh?! You have a pupil?!" Yuuji expressed his astonishment, even Ijichi looked impressed.
Ciel nodded, "However, I believe only a certain number of people should be aware of Yuuji-kun's survival, so I don't intend to have her involved in this."
Should the higher-ups of Jujutsu Society decide to try their next assassination plot against Yuuji, it could lead to Sukuna's release again. That's why not only does she intend to keep a close lid on this, it's better to keep a closer eye on Yuuji while he's safe and secured within her own home.
Also, while Noel is Ciel's partner, the cherry-haired woman had a... few loose screws in her head, which Ciel can't blame her for. It's more than likely that, should Noel discover Yuuji being alive, she'll kill him without giving it a second thought unless Ciel was there to stop her. It was better, and far less messy, that Ciel should avoid letting that woman in on this secret. Especially if, should her superiors express their displeasure over Ciel withholding information, then Noel can be spared of any direct punishment due to not only following Ciel's lead but simply not knowing.
"Sounds good enough to me!" Gojo said through the phone. "It'd be pretty useful to have an executor with us, especially someone who could keep Sukuna on his toes. What do you think, Yuuji-kun?"
Finally addressed, Yuuji took a moment to consider his answer, rubbing the back of his head. "Well... I don't really mind it."
Living in a girl's apartment aside, if it meant someone could keep watch of him and the bastard curse inside, then he'll let himself be caged if that's what it took. The imagery of that night underneath the detention center. The taste of blood of those innocent people, nearly killing Megumi and hurting Ciel. He won't let that happen again, even if he had to let someone kill him one more time.
"I'll be honest, I don't have that much confidence in myself anymore," Yuuji expressed with a blank look, as if under dissociation, "If there's even a chance that what happened that night happens again, I want all of you to do whatever it takes to stop me."
A strong silence emanate within the room. Ciel's eyes narrowed, and she approached to Yuuji's side. "If you're going to hold yourself responsible for what happened that night..."
The boy looked at her as she offered a small smile. "Then you best be sure to work your hardest as a sorcerer. In the meantime, I'll be sure to take proper care of you, so that such a thing won't ever happen again."
Yuuji blinked at her resolute expression full of reassurance and cheeriness, and a small, comforted smile came to him.
"Nanami-san?" Gojo called for the man in the room.
Nanami observed Ciel and Yuuji for a moment, and then regarded back to Gojo on the phone. "...Very well. But Ijichi-san is to remain close by and check in on them every once in a while."
Yuuji was only a child, a child who decided to take responsibility over a crime a monster had done. If having Ciel around meant dulling that sense of survivor's guilt, then Nanami will set aside his personal opinion over the matter. He'll be keeping a close eye on those two though, and make sure no 'funny business' is actually happening between them. They're still only children after all.
"That settles it then! I'll be going now. You guys take care, and don't forget to wear protection you two!"
With that as his parting words, Gojo abruptly hanged up the phone. Yuuji's face absolutely flushed while Ciel expressed her mild embarrassment with an annoyed sigh.
Nanami stared at the teens for another long moment and then looked to Ijichi, "I want absolute surveillance on them. Don't slip up."
"Y-yes," Ijichi could only agree, really wishing he wasn't the only assistant helping around here.
Author's Note:
ifiesekibod:Considering that her name literally is Arach, it's safe to assume that any spider ghouls we see in the Tsukihime Remake belongs to her. That's right folks! That crazy and hyperactive doctor is in this fic! Wonder when she'll show up? Don't worry, I know EXACTLY when she will. Look forward to it!