Nanami arrived at the scene of the Yoshino household, stepping out of the taxi car. He could see lingering curse residue around the house. A few black keys embedded at the front, the side, and possibly at the back of it as well, glowing with holy magic to cleanse away the remaining negative energy that would have otherwise draw in more curses.
After the taxi car drove away, Nanami proceed towards the house with his wrapped hatchet ready in hand, passing by Ijichi's car and entered through the front door.
"-Why didn't you tell me you were at this guy's hideout?!"
The adult overheard the beginning of an argument inside.
"Itadori-kun," it was the voice of Ijichi attempting to calm down the young sorcerer in the living room. "Please understand. We didn't expect for both the curse and the vampire to be working together. It would have been too dangerous to send you there with Nanami-san."
"But if you guys had told me, I could have stopped her!" Yuuji argued.
"If you so much as even tried to fight her, she would have killed you easily," Ciel coldly retorted.
Nanami entered the room that was a mess with destroyed furniture, blood on the floor, and ashes by the wall. Yuuji and Ciel stood face-to-face in the middle of the room as Ijichi tried to mediate between the sorcerer and the executor. Yuuji was angry. He had been kept out of the loop over what Nanami and Ciel had been doing. And Ciel wasn't sorry in the least for lying to him.
"So what? Am I just a burden to you guys?" Yuuji demanded.
"Of course," Ciel curtly replied. It was a sharp response that made Ijichi and Yuuji flinch, powerless to stop her as she resumed without pause. "Do you honestly believe I can rely on someone who hesitated during battle? Even if Ms. Yoshino was someone you had known, she was going to kill you, and if she had escaped, she would have brought havoc to this entire neighborhood. Am I really supposed to trust someone who was going to let that happen? If you didn't want to fight her, to do what needs to be done, then you should have at least listened to me and ran when I told you to."
Yuuji stiffened at her words, grimacing as he recalled Nagi Yoshino's distorted figure that majorly contrasted to her previous exuberance, her smile full of life last night. Even so, he stubbornly refused to back down, fiercely keeping hold of his glare with Ciel's.
"This is why I told you to stay outside," the executor's eyes narrowed, "You would have just been in my way. I don't need someone so weak to-"
"Ciel-san," Nanami immediately intervened before the executor would say anymore.
Ciel looked away from Yuuji and responded to the first grade sorcerer. "Ah. Nanami-san. Excellent timing. I would like for you and Ijichi-san to take Yuuji-kun home now. I'll need to send word of this to my superiors. They'll be sending agents to deal with the clean-up as well as a cover-up story. I'm sure you'll be doing the same, and we certainly can't have the vessel here when they arrive."
It was 'vessel' now when Ciel regarded Yuuji. Ijichi was startled by her tone while Nanami scowled at the girl, a look that would unnerve anyone but the hardened executor. Yuuji was the only one unphased, unrelenting to the dehumanization. The executor turned her back towards him.
"You might also want to take a look at Junpei Yoshino's room, where you'll find the reason why so many curses have gathered here," Ciel said before giving a side-glance at Yuuji. "You can manage at least that much as a sorcerer. If you find any of my words too difficult to accept, though, then feel free to leave my home anytime you wish."
"Hey, we're not done here-!" Yuuji started to go after Ciel as she left for Nagi Yoshino's room. He was stopped by a firm grip of his shoulder from Nanami.
"Let me handle her. First, tell me what happened," Nanami said, looking at Yuuji in the eye.
The new sorcerer looked at Nanami. There was conflict, anger, and sorrow at the state of events that happened here. Yuuji looked back at the pile of ashes against the wall. "...Last night, when I was with Yoshino-kun, he had another friend with him..."
He told everything then. About the girl who seemed so shy and harmless, like she wouldn't hurt a fly. It baffled Yuuji how that very girl, the one who clearly cared so much about Junpei, the girl who he gave his promise to look out for her friend, was in fact the serial killer that's been making headlines in Tokyo for the last month. He almost couldn't believe it. She was just... she was so friendly. He was sure she was a good person. So why? How could she have been a murderer all along?
And Junpei. What about Junpei? Did Satsuki really attack him and Ms. Yoshino last night? Were all the laughs they shared at the table and scares from the movie they watched just a huge farce? How? How could Yuuji not notice anything was wrong that whole time?
"You should have told me," Yuuji said, containing his anger in a low voice. He glared up at the adult. "Next time. Take me with you. Even if you guys think I'm no good, I won't just stand by and let everyone else do all the work."
His friend was involved, and Yuuji won't keep himself out of this. Not especially after what happened to Ms. Yoshino.
"The answer is no," Nanami said with a calm face, unaffected by Yuuji's increasingly intense glare. "The curse is a Special Grade with human intelligence, and his cursed technique rely on close combat. He can transfigure humans by just a touch and reshape their bodies into curses, an ability we have personally seen the results of. On the other hand, Satsuki Yumizuka possesses the ability to drain people of their blood and energy from both close quarters and at a distance. Both of these enemies hold a massive advantage against you, especially Yumizuka-san. Even against sorcerers like me, she is a dangerous foe, and must be avoided directly at all costs."
"I can't just-!"
"Being a child is not a bad thing," Nanami pushed his words into the heart of the teen, who he could see is struggling to keep his composure after everything that happened here. "Some people really are rotten. This cursed spirit is especially one of them. It's also clear to me that you cared about Yumizuka-san, a vampire who has already killed nine people at this point, possibly ten if we do not locate Junpei Yoshino in time. As long as you're in this line of work, you'll be put into situations where you may have to kill someone, especially those you see as a friend. But that time is not now. You are not ready."
Yuuji stilled as he remembered his hesitance against the undead Nagi, and how Ciel had to brace against those cursed blood attacks just to protect him. An attack that burned her severely, because he couldn't pick up his own slack. I told her I would watch her back. I was supposed to protect her...
He gave up arguing then, a sorrowful look on him as he lowered his head, unable to meet anyone's gaze. I really am weak...
Nanami firmly held Yuuji's shoulder once more. "You are not at fault. It was my mistake to keep this from you. For now, your mission is to locate and monitor Junpei Yoshino. I will send all the evidence found here. There will be other sorcerers and members of the Church arriving to secure this area. You need to be out of sight by then."
Yuuji only nodded silently. After Nanami released his shoulder, he then proceeded to the same direction Ciel went, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to have a serious discussion with Ciel-san."
The adult sends a look to Ijichi and the spectacled man nodded in understanding. He politely asked Yuuji to follow him, and the sorcerer did so quietly. He stopped for a moment though to look back where Ciel had left, an internal debate seen within his eyes.
"Wait for her at home," Nanami informed Yuuji, reading the teen's gaze. "I'll be giving her the same talk as I did with you. Although, I'll have to be even more strict to get her to listen."
Yuuji's eyes softened, looking back at the ashes of Nagi Yoshino. "...Don't be too hard on her. I can handle what she dishes at me. It's just that... I owe her more than I'd think I'll ever be able to make up for..."
Nanami regarded the boy silently as Yuuji left with the concerned Ijichi in tow. The adult took a deep breath in, and then turned to find Ciel.
He sees the executor in the bedroom, standing by Nagi Yoshino's broken bed, looking out through the window where daytime still lingered. "Ciel-san. I need to have a talk with you."
The executor turned around to face Nanami. "Yes. Though before we should do that, I spoke to one of my superiors over the phone. The sorcerer you requested had just arrived. When were you going to inform me?"
"About a minute before Ijichi called me to inform that you and Itadori-kun were on your way over to Yoshino-kun's house," Nanami answered as he put away his wrapped hatchet, seeing the house cleared of any enemies himself.
Ciel's face relaxed slightly and she crossed her arms, "I see. Should we head over then? There are agents already being sent this way as we speak."
"That's not my current concern at the moment," Nanami said as he walked towards the executor.
"It isn't?" Ciel asked with a confused tone.
"No. You are." And after stating that with a deadpanned expression, Nanami promptly slapped the executor's face. It was a light sort of slap that wouldn't leave a mark, but the message was made clear.
Of all the things that could break Ciel's stoic character, being slapped by the white-suited sorcerer was by far her most surprising. The executor was stunned for a moment, then steadily turned her head back to face Nanami with a frown.
"What you said to Itadori-kun was too far, and you know it," Nanami began sternly. "Even if you excuse it as you being honest, and you may have been right in some regard, you didn't need to be rude about it. I'm quite tired of this 'lone wolf' attitude of yours. Your attempt to distance yourself from everyone will not make any of us stop caring about your well-being."
Ciel showed the barest hint of her anger upon hearing Nanami's words. "I thought we went over this already. I do not need anyone's concerns. My life is my own business, and have you forgotten that I cannot die no matter what?"
"Yes, and that makes me wonder just how eager you are to prove that time and time again," Nanami said, frowning. "What happened to you? I know that the Holy Church couldn't have treated you humanly the moment you and your ability were discovered, but something else happened before that, didn't it? Something that made the Church wipe every information they could about you and your past. The likes of which they haven't done to any other executor in their ranks."
"I see you've been doing your research. That's honestly not so surprising. How could any sorcerer trust an executor be so close, after all? Especially regarding their one and only chance to exorcise the King of Curses," Ciel coldly retort, returning to her state that held no compassion. A simple machine whose only purpose is to kill vampires, and occasionally curses as well.
"I've told you before that I don't care about politics," Nanami reminded. Despite his own stoic expression, there was clearly more emotion to him and his genuine worries over Ciel, one he doesn't try to hide in the least bit.
However, Ciel did not desire to have his empathy be sent her way. Out of everyone in Tokyo, she felt to be the least deserving of it. Ciel turned her body towards the window as she responded, "No. You are only here to kill curses, just as I am here to kill vampires. That fact remains unchanged no matter what. Therefore, nothing else should matter, except fulfilling our duties."
She looked away from the man, deciding to put an end to this discussion before the adult could pry anything out of her. "Believe me, Nanami-san. It is far better for your sake, and for everyone else's, that you do not associate yourself with me beyond work-related matters. After all, if any one of you were to get in the way of my assignment... I won't hesitate to clear any and all obstacles, so long as I can complete my mission, even if that means I have to kill."
The bedroom windows slid open. A burst of wind entered that pushed the curtains towards Nanami. "Ciel-!"
The executor left under the cover of the curtains and leapt out of the window. Nanami pushed through to grab her, but only reached the window's edge where the girl had simply vanished, nowhere to be seen on the street below.
"Especially if I'm to fulfill my objective in executing Yuuji Itadori."
Nanami looked up and spotted the executor standing at the rooftop, her turquoise gaze bearing no emotions whatsoever as the dark blue of her nun outfit swayed with the wind.
"I'll see you at the cursed spirit's lair. Please do bring your professionalism to work, Nanami-san."
Ciel then looked down to see Yuuji's figure standing by Ijichi's car. The young sorcerer had looked up and met her gaze, surprised to see her robotic expression before she turned away.
It was undeniable. The fact itself remained. The moment Yuuji obtains all twenty of Sukuna's cursed fingers, or if he were to lose control again, she'll be the one to kill him. Bearing that in mind, she realized just how foolish she had been acting all day. She shouldn't have let herself get carried away like that.
There were far greater threats happening in Tokyo, threats that she should have been out looking for and exterminating them. She shouldn't have cut classes today, it was as if she would have preferred monitoring Sukuna's host over Roa's, and that was a thought in itself she cannot bear. For as horrendous as Sukuna is, with Roa, it was personal, and she won't let anyone get in the way of that. Not even... not even Yuuji.
I won't be side-tracked again.
"Wait! Ciel-san!" Nanami shouted after the executor as he stepped onto the edge of the window, but the girl had already quickly sprinted away from the scene, disappearing from sight. There was no hope to catch up to that girl at his age and he sighed, adjusting his specs. It would have been helpful if you told me just how thick-headed she really is, Gojo-san.
"-What happened? Where did she go?!"
Nanami looked down at the confused teen standing below, seeing the worry in his eyes and body stance as he was ready to sprint after the executor. The man held out a hand at Yuuji, telling him to stay. "I'll explain it when I get down. Wait in the car for me."
He could tell that Yuuji didn't want to do that, but there was no room for argument as Nanami stepped back into the bedroom. He gazed at the evidence around the destroyed bed before walking out into the hallway again. He'll have to talk to Ciel another time, for now, he needed to focus on the matter at hand here.
He stood in front of the door of Junpei Yoshino's bedroom and opened it. There he saw on Junpei's study desk, the source of the cursed blight that invaded this home. The cursed finger of Sukuna, surrounded by Ciel's miniature black keys and creating a barrier to keep its influence from attracting any more curses. Nanami approached the desk, carefully eyeing at the cursed object.
"Did Yumizuka-san bring this here? The cursed spirit? Or..."
Junpei Yoshino. But judging by what he saw in the bedroom, the boy couldn't have predicted any of this would have happened. Ice packs scattered around. The blood on the bed. If Nagi Yoshino had been injured, then someone who cared a great deal about her tried to ease her pain as much as possible. But if Yuuji stated that she had already been severed in half by the time he and Ciel confronted her, with the woman's other half yet to be found - likely eaten by the curses, then it's safe to assume that Nagi Yoshino had already been dead for some time.
But then what was the circumstances of her becoming an undead? If she had been lying motionless on the bed at first, then she had to have become a ghoul right after Junpei put her there. Which meant that Satsuki had to have bitten and turned Junpei's mother after the woman was already dead. Why? Was she trying to save Nagi? If that's the case, then Satsuki might have not been the one to attack the Yoshinos. It's possible that the curses were here first, then Satsuki came. With the fresh smell of blood, all of this had to have happened this morning, which meant somehow Satsuki, a vampire, was able to get into this house in broad daylight. Ciel was right, Satsuki Yumizuka was evolving, and at dangerous levels.
It was unfortunate that he couldn't see to Nagi's body himself to confirm his suspicions, and Ciel in her ice-cold disposition left abruptly before Nanami could ask her about the state of the woman's body, but there's no point dwelling over it now. All there's left is the process of elimination. If the curses were here first, and Satsuki arrived later, then who was here before the curses? Who brought this cursed finger here?
If Junpei Yoshino's love for his mother was true, and seeing it for himself with the amount of ice packs there were in Nagi's bedroom, Nanami could only come to two conclusions. Either Junpei or someone else brought this cursed finger here without knowing its true nature...
"Or someone planted it here and meant for all this to happen," Nanami declared, pulling out his phone as he took a picture of the cursed finger to send to his colleagues. "If it was that cursed spirit, what purpose does it serve? If he wanted to kill the Yoshinos, he could have easily done it himself instead of going about it like this. And if Yumizuka-san was trying to save Ms. Yoshino..."
Then there was a conflict of interest between the vampire and the cursed spirit. It could be the start of an alliance breaking, and who knows what hell that could bring? He'll need to think this over some more, but he's not so sure if he'll have that much time to do so.
As Nanami turned to leave, he took a brief glance at Junpei's bed, and stopped immediately. There were a few drops of blood he spotted on the disturbed bed. "Someone else was injured...?"
"You sure know how to pick them, huh, brat?"
Yuuji slapped both his cheeks with Ciel's blue-crossed gloves worn, silencing the cursed spirit easily as he sat inside of Ijichi's car while they waited for Nanami to come out of the house. He was feeling antsy, wondering why Ciel left so suddenly like that. He wanted to follow her, even if it'll risk getting himself exposed. But he didn't want to cause trouble for either Nanami or Ijichi, or everyone else who tried so hard to keep his survival a secret.
Still, Yuuji didn't like how things were left off between him and Ciel. He had to talk to her again, even for all the harsh things she said, things he himself can't really deny. It was always such a huge whiplash whenever she acted that way. One moment, she was the sweetest girl alive, the next, she was cold and distant.
He hated that. He knew Ciel was a genuinely kind person, so why does she always have to shut that part of her down whenever Yuuji wanted to work with her? Yeah, he was angry, but he just wanted to understand. Then as soon as he called her out on it, she started putting up walls and throwing insults at him, like she wanted to make it hurt, to push him away. He so wasn't going to just take that, especially if it's to scare him off. It always felt like whenever she did that, she's trying to pile everything onto her shoulders and refuse anyone to help her ease off the load.
"Mmmrrrrgggh!" Yuuji fiercely rubbed his head as he sat against the back seat. Seriously! Why does she act that way?! She's even worse than Fushiguro and Nanami!
Ijichi expressed his pity and concerns for the teen as he looked up in the rear-view mirror. "Are you alright, Itadori-kun?"
Yuuji pulled his body forward and his head slumped, both his hands grasping the back of his neck. "...Yeah. It's just... so frustrating. I know that I'm not as strong as Ciel or Nanami-san, and she wasn't wrong about me hesitating. Because of that, I let her get hurt again. I want to change that. I want to be someone they can rely on. Not only that, but Junpei Yoshino is my responsibility. He's my friend, and I left him when he needed me most."
Ijichi's eyes softened. "We cannot always be there for everyone, and we couldn't have foreseen any of this would happen. Nanami-san didn't wish to involve you because he cares about you. He believed it was better if he took it upon himself to take care of the cursed spirit, only to discover it was much worse than any of us anticipated."
Ijichi pushed the bridge of his glasses, "He didn't even tell Ciel-san where the cursed spirit had been residing until he found her there in the sewers."
"What?" Yuuji's head shot up. "Wait... Ciel and Nanami-san didn't go in together?"
"Erm, no..." Ijichi said, wondering how much should he reveal, and decided to leave out the part where Ciel had to burn herself alive to exorcise Yumizuka's cursed technique. "Nanami-san wanted to look out for her as well, and so didn't tell her where the culprit was hiding. It turns out though, she already knew, and was there to exorcise the curse without informing any of us. That was when she encountered Yumizuka-san."
"She and her partner?" Yuuji frowned. Why didn't Ciel tell any of them? They would have helped them if she did.
"It was only her," Ijichi informed. "Her partner was still at her school when Ciel went to investigate the sewers."
"By herself?"
Ijichi slowly nodded, seeing the shock in Yuuji's eyes in the mirror. "It seemed that she wanted take care of the problem for us. I know she had been harsh with you just now, but I think it was her way to keep you from getting involved any further. I've heard a lot of things about executors, but I'm sure she cares about you a great deal, and just didn't want you to get hurt."
The man can certainly sympathize, after his own failure of looking after Gojo's class, sending them into that death trap in the detention center, he didn't want Yuuji to suffer the same fate ever again. "That's not to say that I agree with her approach. Nanami-san would very much call in support if he needed it. Ciel, however, she probably preferred to work alone, to keep any possible casualties to a minimum."
Yuuji was stunned by the revelation. If that was true, then all those nights Ciel goes off to patrol the streets, had she been doing that alone all this time? All while Yuuji had been asleep or watching movies without a care in the world?
His hands balled against his knees. Just how long have I been screwing around?! While everyone else is...
Ijichi saw the look on Yuuji's face and began to rethink himself. Ah... I think I just made him feel worse. I really deserve to be fired at this point.
However, there was a change in Yuuji's eyes. A slow show of resolve. A newfound determination that refused to keep himself on the sidelines anymore. He told Principal Yaga as such, and he's going to keep his word on that. He's not going to pretend this has nothing to do with him, not when a friend needs him now, more than ever.
If things get rough, and I'm not around, you'll go to his rescue, okay?
Satsuki Yumizuka... Her request sounded so sincere. She had to have cared about Junpei for her to ask Yuuji that. So then why...?
He and Ijichi get jump scared by Nanami who tapped the window of Ijichi's car. Ijichi lowered the window of his car and Nanami spoke through. "Ciel went to see to her people directly. I'll meet with her at the lair where the cursed spirit and Yumizuka-san had been hiding to find any clues of their current whereabouts. Ijichi-san, Itadori-kun, your current assignment is to locate Junpei Yoshino. If you managed to find him, but he is accompanied by either the curse or Yumizuka-san, do not confront them. Wait until I and Ciel arrive to the scene."
Yuuji looked back down at his feet while Ijichi nodded, the sorcerer assistant responding, "Understood. We'll keep you updated of any progress."
Nanami stared at the teen. "Itadori-kun. Please confirm it with me."
Yuuji looked back at the adult in surprise.
"You are not to confront Yoshino-kun if he is not alone. Do you understand?"
"...Yeah," Yuuji said with a straight face. "I understand."
Satisfied, Nanami added, "Keep in mind that, after reviewing the scene, this all happened in the morning, which means if Satsuki Yumizuka had been here at that time..."
Yuuji and Ijicih's eyes widened as Nanami answered, "Then she has the ability to walk during the day. Be on your best guards, you two. Both the cursed spirit and Yumizuka-san have yet to fully stop evolving. We have no way to know how much stronger they'll become."
After Yuuji and Ijichi gave their word of affirmation. Nanami stepped back and allowed the car to be driven away, watching it depart onto the road.
...I thought Itadori-kun would ask me what drew all these curses here, especially after Ciel basically announced it, could he have known already?
If so, then Nanami would do well to slap some sense into that boy before he would allow the sorcerer to think he's responsible for this. Good grief, it's a headache having to deal with children both hard-headed and selfless, as if their own lives didn't matter.
"Hmmm..." Noel hummed to herself as she was lying on her back against a bed, staring at the ceiling of the school infirmary. She made a beeline back here to school after seeing everything she needed to see at the house, where Ciel and the revived vessel had been in. After doing quite the footwork just to avoid the detection of Ciel, especially after that sorcerer in the black suit arrived, Noel thought she deserved a good resting. She's sure the students in her class will appreciate the free hour.
She'd been mulling it over ever since she came back to this school. How did the vessel survive after Ciel, and the other sorcerers, made sure he was dead? Furthermore, why were they keeping his survival a secret? It would have made sense if the sorcerers were just trying to keep the Church from taking over and killing Sukuna before they could, but then why was Ciel involved in this? And why didn't Ciel inform the Church? To Mario Bestino? To Noel?
Sure, Noel and Ciel try their best to avoid direct conversation so to keep their personal relations to one another on the down-low, especially after Noel got a scolding from Ciel for tipping off that Satoru Gojo - like how was Noel supposed to know he wasn't as blind as he seemed? He's also some big shot around here and at the Mage Association, but that's beside the point.
Noel wondered what she should do with this information. Maybe she should tell Mario? This could be her chance to get promoted, and then she would have less work to worry about! Well, less work on the field and more behind the desk. At least, once she's able to kill Roa after it's proven that Shiki Tohno is Roa's next host. But there was still something odd to Noel, thinking back how Ciel gingerly held the wrists of Sukuna's vessel.
Noel placed her arms behind her head, letting her body relax against the mattress as she sighed out, "I wonder why she hasn't killed him yet?"
"You could have asked me that yourself."
Noel lurched up from the bed, and immediately spotted Ciel standing by the window the cherry-haired woman didn't even hear open. "C-Ciel!"
The blue-haired executor push-closed the window. "I'm disappointed, Noel. I thought I taught you better to keep aware of your surroundings, and to hide your presence. You're lucky that Itadori is still a new sorcerer, or he might have noticed you too."
Formalities dropped, Ciel switched to her and Noel's native language, to keep prying ears from catching anything in their conversation. It was just the two of them in this infirmary, and Ciel was, to say the least, unimpressed at the sight of Noel slacking on the job yet again. "Now, is there a reason why you abandoned your post after I entrusted you to keep watch of Tohno?"
Noel gulped under the hard, cold stare of Ciel. "I-! I was..."
Shouldn't I be the one interrogating her? It was a reasonable thought, but there was no hope for Noel to object to someone who was, in every way, stronger than her. A natural law of the animal kingdom. "...I felt something was off when you left school today."
Earlier, Noel had been delivering some paperwork by Shiki Tohno's classroom when she overheard a conversation between Ciel, Shiki, and his friend Arihiko Inui.
"Senpai! How about joining us for lunch at the cafeteria?" Inui decided to try his luck asking the popular and beloved senpai of the school.
"Sorry, Inui-kun. I think I'm going to skip lunch today," was Ciel's immediate response.
"HUH?! Seriously?!" The answer left the orange-haired teen in shock.
The son of the Tohno Family was equally bemused. "For some reason, I just heard something incredibly controversial... Did you really say you'll skip lunch today, Senpai?"
"Oh Tohno-kun. It's not like I'm going to starve myself. Do I really seem like a pig to you? Is that how you see me?" Ciel played the waterworks as she showed her visibly (fake) hurt expression.
"N-no! Not at all, Senpai!"
"Maaannn, there you go again, Tohno," Inui shook his head at Shiki's behavior. "Breaking hearts and making girls cry. No tact, whatsoever."
"Just what are you trying to make me sound like, Inui?"
Ciel ceased her teasing then and chuckled lightly, "I'm only kidding. I know you didn't mean anything like that, Tohno-kun. Otherwise, I'll have to smack you. The truth is, I have some work I need to do with the club, so I'll be too busy to hang out today."
"I see... well, better luck next time then."
"Yes! I'm sure we can hang out another day!"
Noel had slowed down her walk just to keep listening to the conversation. She stopped at another room and waited between there and the door, watching as Ciel left Shiki's classroom with a light skip of her feet, the girl's hands clasped behind her back. It was funny how Ciel just now told Noel how easily noticeable the woman's presence was, when it didn't seem to be the case earlier. Which only put further suspect regarding Ciel's usually critical focus.
"To me, it looked like you were... distracted."
Happier.
"I see. Well, I suppose I couldn't blame you," Ciel accepted the response with a cross of her arm, leaning her back against the window frame. "Alright then. Now I believe it's my turn to explain before you should decide to report to Mario about this."
Composing herself, Noel sat at the edge of the bed, "Then it's true, the vessel really did survive."
"I wouldn't say 'survive'," Ciel air-quoted, "He really was dead, without a doubt. Then as soon as I left him in the sorcerers' care, he was suddenly revived, along with Sukuna's soul. I hadn't realized what had happened until later on."
Noel frowned, "I didn't think curses had that kind of ability. Or is it the same as you?"
"I doubt it. Sukuna does possess the ability to split his souls into pieces, and was able to stay alive over a thousand years through this. It's possible that he and Yuuji were in a suspended state, keeping a piece of their soul alive while the rest of Itadori's body ceased all life readings, even fooling the likes of Satoru Gojo."
"Still, how could a curse just revive himself like that?" Noel questioned. "And why hasn't he taken over that boy's body if he could do something like that?"
"Sukuna is no ordinary curse. We were misled to believe he'd be no different from all the other curses we've come across outside of Japan. His power likens to that of a dead apostle, and I can't really fathom how'd he be should he recover all of his cursed fingers. If I'm to take a guess, I'd say he'd be as strong as a Dead Apostle Ancestor."
Noel stared at the curtains by the bed, trying to keep hold of her nerves. "This country really had such a monster hiding here all this time."
"We all heard what happened to Caren Hortensia the moment Sukuna was revived. Collapsing the second the seal broke around the cursed finger the other exorcists had stored away," Ciel said. "It should tell us enough how powerful, and dangerous this curse really is. As for why Sukuna hasn't taken over Itadori's body, I believe he is biding his time. Something happened during their suspension. Likely a deal was made to bring both of them back to life, but at a price. Itadori claimed that he remembered nothing of his interaction, but that it did happen. This is likely one of the conditions upon their deal."
"So he's waiting for his big debut... until he gets all of his cursed fingers back," Noel came to the same conclusion as Ciel had.
The blue-haired executor nodded. "I believe so. After being confronted with Sukuna's power, killing him should be as much of a priority as killing Roa. But having to kill Itadori now would be a waste, too hasty. And I can't say whether Sukuna had created a failsafe should Itadori die before he should regain all of the curse's fingers."
"Then, isn't it safer to use the Seventh Holy Scripture on him?" Noel suggested, "Even that curse can't come back from that, right?"
"Perhaps not, but there are still the rest of his fingers to take into account. We wouldn't be able to affectively kill him, but stall for time, until the next one-in-the-million host is discovered."
"Wouldn't that be better then? We had to wait thirteen years before Roa reincarnates into his next host. With Sukuna, there's almost no guarantee that the sorcerers will be as lucky to find the next vessel."
Ciel turned to look out at the window, "I wonder about that. It actually seemed far too perfect timing for them to have found the vessel so suddenly like that."
"Ah... true. He was just some boy who had been living in some small town," Noel said before smirking, "Kind of like you, Ciel."
Ciel made no comment as she stared at her own reflection. "...In any case, the opportunity of exorcising Sukuna remains. I'm sure Mario would agree. But that's beside the point."
A warning is laid in Ciel's tone as she turned back to Noel. "No one else knows about the vessel's survival, apart from a small group of sorcerers, myself, and as of this moment, you. What happened at the detention center was intended by the jujutsu schools' higher ups. I also don't intend to inform Mario of Itadori's status either. At least, not yet. I intend to kill Itadori the moment he gathers all or, at the very least, enough fingers so that when the time is right, I will execute him and cripple Sukuna. That way, the next time the curse revives, he'll be easier to manage."
"So you're going to stay close to him until then?" Noel asked, confused. "I don't get it. Why would you want to associate yourself with that monster? We already have Roa to deal with. And if the other sorcerers are hiding him, aren't they just shooting themselves in the foot if the vessel loses control again?"
"It's a risk they seem willing to take. As for me..." Ciel paused as she looked at a pair of passing leaves, dancing in the wind. "I'm planning to lure Itadori into a false sense of security, just as I am doing with the Tohno family heir. It's been working rather well. I've even gained the trusts of the sorcerers in charge of him. I can kill Yuuji even while he's asleep and knows that I'm in the room. The timing is just not right yet. Just as I intend to kill Roa, I will also kill Sukuna."
Ciel then turned back for Noel, her turquoise eyes impassive, "If you still plan to inform Mario, I won't stop you, but just as how we can't simply kill Shiki Tohno at the suspicion that he is Roa's next host, or even if it'll save us the trouble, we also can't simply kill Sukuna's vessel without having someone like Satoru Gojo bring hell down on us and make us see the Devil before we see God."
Noel flinched upon hearing that, beginning to fathom just how dangerous that sorcerer sounded. "Th-there's no way he could-"
"Would you be willing to fight against someone like Aoko Aozaki?"
Noel jumped at the notion, silencing at once.
"Precisely. Even the Holy Church knows better than to make ourselves a personal enemy to that witch. Not to mention the cost in collateral damage," Ciel huffed. "Despite Yuuji Itadori being Sukuna's host, Gojo has already shown to be quite attached to him. Even I, with my immortal life, won't test his temperament. That's why everything must be done carefully, until the perfect moment arrives when I slay Yuuji Itadori. And it's best that the other Jujutsu Sorcerers don't try anything until I'm personally through with him. It would have been unfinished business otherwise. I was the one who killed Itadori the first time. I'll make sure the second time will be our last."
Noel stared at Ciel for a long moment, seeing the seriousness in Ciel's eyes. The eyes of an assassin. The cherry-haired woman smiled, feeling relieved. "I see..."
It was good to see those eyes. That voice of no empathy. For a moment, Noel had been worried. After seeing Ciel acting a little 'different' lately, Noel really thought that Ciel had become human again.
Ciel uncrossed her arms and started for the door of the infirmary, "Right now, there are other important matters we need to answer to. We are getting closer to Yumizuka-chan's whereabouts. It won't be long now before Roa's servant is put down."
"Hmm. That's a shame, I kind of liked her," Noel smiled, though it was a smile that held no genuine warmth or pity for the girl in question. "She was the only girl in my class who didn't talk bad about me. Oh well, I'm already over my mourning. If you find her, be sure to give her a quick death, Ciel."
Ciel made no response as she exited the infirmary and into the empty hallway.
Junpei Yoshino stood in front of the courtyard of his school, dressed in the black clothes that once belonged to his mother. Right now, he knew an assembly was happening. All the teachers and staff will be in attendance. The perfect trap.
He looked over to his side. Moon Dregs was summoned, and within his jellyfish shikigami, the sleeping, pained figure of Satsuki Yumizuka lay curled up within a blanket he wrapped her around in. He placed his hand against his shikigami's transparent head.
"Hang in there. I won't let you die too..."
Malice fueling his heart and his body, Junpei made his way through the school entrance.
Author's Note: A new chapter already?! It's my passion writing at work! I'll be facing my burn out sooner or later. Last chapter was REALLY long, so for this one, I decided to have it end where it is. This is just part 1 of 2 (or 3? - now 4!) of Vampiric Impulses, Cursed Delights.
Next chapter will indeed be a hellish one. Hold on to your helmets and hearts! :D