Chapter 6
The sun rose without fail the next morning, and the human world continued on in blissful ignorance. All the while, the Jujutsu elders decided to play God over another human's life.
Kagome looked over the text for what felt like the hundredth time; it was a guarantee they'd execute Yuji, and yet she couldn't help but be angry. He didn't deserve to die simply because he's become Sukuna's vessel.
Things weren't adding up.
Everything she knew said Sukuna was a human turned demon, but the Jujutsu Sorcerers say he was a human Jujutsu Sorcerer turned vengeful curse. So why the urgency to execute Yuji?
Scrolling through her contacts, Kagome fired off a quick text.
Her: -Hey, think you could get me some information on Ryomen Sukuna and the Jujutsu Sorcerers that killed him?-
Them: ~The demon from a thousand years ago? Sure, it might take me a while, but I should have something in a couple days.~
…
~Why?~
Kagome hesitated; given her situation, she could easily be marked as a threat should anyone find out. But ultimately, she needed the truth, and what better way than from a well-trusted demon.
-Sukuna's taken a vessel.-
Their response was instant.
~I'll have it by tomorrow.~
Today wasn't going to be particularly busy; in fact, today's only objective was to rest. Fushiguro was currently incapacitated, his body littered by bandages despite being treated upon arrival at the school. Kagome, aside from some soreness, was perfectly fine after sleeping.
Yet everything about today was followed by an overwhelming restlessness. Yuji's execution was suspended, and Gojo had taken the finger from Higurashi Shrine to give to Yuji. It meant Sukuna would now have a tenth of his original power. And Kagome wasn't sure what that would entail, and she wouldn't know until her contact got back to her.
The elders didn't react well to what they couldn't control, nor what they didn't understand.
Kagome was a bit of both. A reiryoku and Juryoku (cursed energy) user, she was both a part and separate from them. To them, her existence was an unexplainable accident. Still, despite their preconceived notions, they accepted her because she was deemed useful. Some of the elders had even taken an interest in her, seeing her as an invaluable asset to strengthen ties with Reiryoku users and hopefully marry her into one of the three major Jujutsu families.
And whereas they accepted her because they thought she was useful and could potentially control her, they couldn't do that with Ryomen Sukuna. They were so scared of Sukuna and the power and threat he could pose that they went straight to executing Yuji Itadori.
Cursed spirits were the enemy of all Jujutsu Sorcerers, the spirits existing as the manifestation of human ills, and yet they were similar to demons. Demons were a foreign enemy to Sorcerers, their energy being different to both entities. So the possibility stood that a spirit, if strong enough, could manifest a body and become a demon.
And perhaps what the elders feared more than Sukuna's power, was the unknown.
The theory Kagome'd formed is that the Elders clung to tradition out of fear. The caliber of spirits and Sorcerers had been on the rise. They no doubt clung to tradition in hopes of maintaining order, not realizing they were unintentionally fanning the flames of change. Their fear was stifling the growth of their communities and, worse, putting them in danger.
Hopefully, the information she was waiting on would help her understand their trepidation about Sukuna and Yuji.
The sound of a car pulled Kagome's attention outward and towards the stairs. Living at the Tokyo Jujutsu school/headquarters, it was easy to forget herself in its historic infrastructure and isolated countryside location. It felt like she was in the past, but then her phone would go off, or a car would be pulling up to remind her of the present.
Making her way over, Kagome was greeted by the sight of Satoru Gojo and Yuji Itadori. Her eyes searched her teacher's expression. He was usually unreadable, hiding his emotions behind a smile and a carefree attitude. But he looked annoyed, his brows drawn tight under his blindfold along with an unmistakable frown. As soon as he noticed her, Gojo jogged up to her, throwing his arm around her shoulder, and smiled, but it was obviously forced. "Shouldn't you be resting? You and Megumi took quite the beating."
A light shade of pink colored her cheeks. "I'm fine." Her voice grew painfully shy, eyes darting in Yuji's direction. "Sukuna healed me."
He didn't ask, but she could feel his questioning stare. "Okay, well, we need to get Yuji to the principal."
She visibly cringed, her nose wrinkling as she nodded. "I'll walk you there."
Turning, Kagome offered the other teen a small smile. "Hi, I'm Kagome Higurashi. Sorry I wasn't able to introduce myself properly yesterday. "
Yuji perked up, giving her a smile and a small wave in return. "Yuji Itadori. I'm glad you're doing better."
"First things first, Yuji. You've got an interview with the Principal."
"The principal?"
Gojo gave a nod. "If you mess up, you might get rejected for admission."
"WHAT?!" Yuji let out a shriek, his words coming out in a shout. "Does that mean I get executed right away?!" He then slumped, his head bowed."What a disappointment…." Yuji grumbled. "Here, I thought you were the leader."
A laugh threatened to escape Kagome's throat, leaving her with a grin. She'd thought the same thing at first; even now, she thought Gojo should be the one in charge.
Her body suddenly went rigid, the air around Yuji shuddering with Sukuna's power. His voice sent chills racing down her spine and panic rising in her chest.
"A hierarchy not based purely on strength is boring, if you ask me." A mouth twisted Yuji's cheek, showing a malicious grin that housed too many teeth.
Yuji slapped the mouth with enough force it made Kagome flinch.
"Sorry, sensei, he comes out sometimes." from the hand cupping his right cheek, another mouth appeared with a cackle.
"What an interesting body you have now." Gojo mused brow pinched as he studied Yuji.
"I owe you a debt, after all." His grin was filled with sharp fangs and malicious intent. "When I make this kid's body mine, you'll be the first one I kill!"
"Me, a target of the great Sukuna? What an honor!?" Gojo's tone was openly sarcastic.
Kagome swallowed thickly, the slit under Yuji's left eye peering open. A halo of red surrounding the iris that leered gleefully at her. "But don't you worry." A shiver ran down her spine. "I won't kill you, my Shikon Miko."
Her body went rigid, eyes snapping to his glowing iris with a halo of pink circling her gaze. "The Shikon no Tama doesn't exist." Her tone was low, sharp, and final.
His grin pulled at Yuji's cheek, a sickening feeling twisting her gut. "Doesn't it?"
Kagome shivered, her eyes wide as fear began lapping at her heart.
Yuji smacked his other cheek. "So he really is famous?"
Kagome nodded mutely, her eyes falling to the stone walkway. Gojo was no doubt suspicious of her, but he didn't pry instead choosing to answer Yuji.
"Ryomen Sukuna, with four arms and two faces, is a Demon of Legend." Kagome's ear perked, many referred to Sukuna as a demon, but until yesterday all she'd known about him extended only to the basics. "The truth is, he was originally a human, but that was a thousand years ago. In the golden age of Jujutsu, Jujutsu sorcerers had sharpened their skills against him, but were ultimately defeated. With the title Ryomen Sukuna, he would traverse the ages after his death as a cursed object. We Jujutsu sorcerers wouldn't even be able to destroy his remains preserved in their own grave wax. Without a doubt, he is the King of Curses!"
"Is he stronger than you, sensei?"
"Hmm... Good question."
Kagome peered at Gojo curiously. He was powerful, the most powerful of all the Sorcerers. If he really wanted to, Gojo could easily take over, getting rid of the elders and their oppression.
"If Sukuna were to completely regain his power, it might be a little tough." He grinned.
"So you'd win," Kagome stated.
He grinned. "Definitely."
Kagome smiled back before looking at Yuji. They had made it to the testing building, where the Principal no doubt had been waiting for some time. "Good luck with the 'test,' though I doubt you'll need it." She smiled while offering him a thumbs-up.
A light shade of pink bloomed across his cheeks as he smiled back at her.
"Come on, Yuji! We shouldn't keep Principal Yaga waiting!" Gojo cheered, pushing Yuji by his shoulders towards the door.
Kagome laughed under her breath as she turned away, her mind wandering back to her own test by Principal Yaga.
~o.O~O.o~
The room was dark, with a scarce amount of light coming from a handful of candles that had been strategically placed around the large traditional training room. Several pillars with splintered sides and aging paint, even the tatami mats looked as if they had seen better days. But it was the man seated surrounded by plush animals of varying sizes that grabbed her attention.
He looked twice her age, with black hair and, oddly enough, sunglasses despite the already dark room. In his hands, he was carefully attending to a small plushie.
"You know, sewing in the dark is bad for your eyes." Kagome shrugged, eyes wandering around the room. She would know, having spent countless nights trying to salvage what was left of her clothes after another hard-fought battle against Naraku.
"Duly noted." There was a huff of a laugh to his voice, a faint smile pulling on his lips. "So Gojo, care to explain to me why you called me, and then arrived an hour late."
Gojo gave a cheeky grin, hands on his hip. "Mrs. Higurashi's cooking was too good to pass up."
"Then you were able to obtain Sukuna's finger from the shrine."
"Not exactly." Gojo leaned up against one of the posts and lazily pointed at her with his thumb. "Ms. Kagome Higurashi here refused to let us have the finger unless she came with it."
"AH!" The Principal exclaimed. "As you can see, Ms. Higurashi, the finger will be safe here."
"That's not what I agreed to." She straightened, standing tall, and stared at him. "I am not so childish as to assume I am the only one suited to protect it. Instead," her hand flexed along with the handle of her bow case. "I want to learn. I've already been blindly fighting these spirits for months. So I'd like to become a student here." Kagome did her best to sound confident and sure, not wanting the man to see her as a child to be demeaned.
"A student? Can you even use Juryoku, priestess?"
A frown pulled at her lips, her brow knotting. His tone was enough to make her want to growl. "Yes." It even sounded like a growl, a sharp tone echoing in her short response.
He smirked, a feeling of unease filling the room. "If you're going to be a student, we'll just have test your will."
From behind him, a dark figure darted out, eluding her sight by sticking to the shadows created by the limited candles.
She hissed low, eyes searching along with her senses.
Behind.
Kagome dropped down, her hair being pushed by a sudden breeze. The shadow dropped in front of her, its disproportionate limbs finally making sense now that it stood in candlelight.
It was one of the plush animals. Jumping from foot to foot, the green beast resembled a kappa with a pale blue head and large-toothed grin.
She rolled her shoulders, eyes switching from the Principal to the doll. This wasn't the first time she had fought against a puppeteer. Naraku had been quite the master, and a vicious opponent.
"This is a cursed corpse. It's a doll infused with my cursed energy." Yaga explained, his lips twitching upward into a smile. "Her name is Cathy."
With a flick of his finger, the puppet lept at her, jumping in and out of the shadows. It moved so quickly, throwing punches and kicks, that Kagome was forced to use her case as a shield. Each strike sends her skidding back.
"Why are you here?"
Kagome groaned under her breath. "Why does it matter?" The puppet swipes at her feet, knocking her off balance.
"She'll keep attacking until you give me a good enough reason." He tsked.
Forced back even further, Cathy was finally able to knock away the bow case before throwing a punch at Kagome's stomach. She gave a sharp yelp, her body was still suffering from the attack on the shrine.
"Whether I am here, or not," Kagome hissed, charging her fist with reiryoku so as to land a hit on Cathy. The puppet wailed, stumbling back to hold at its burned face. The fabric had been singed, a few stitches coming undone around their mouth and eye. "I will still fight curses."
"Being a Jujutsu sorcerer isn't for the faint of heart. People die. You could die." Yaga pressed, his hand outstretched to send Cathy at her once more.
"So?" Kagome countered. "I will still fight curses." Cathy came at her again; this time, Kagome was able to grab ahold of her and swung her down onto the ground. "I'd simply like to learn more."
"Hm." Cathy froze mid-strike. Yaga seemed to look at Gojo with a small smile. "Show Ms. Higurashi to her dorm, and make sure to explain everything to her."
~o.O~O.o~
Them: ~Documents incoming.~
…
~Expect a package tonight.~
Her email notification promptly went off. The email had a dozen pdf. documents each one seemingly containing a whole book's worth of information.
wolfYLady: I am so sorry about the long wait, but I have had a lot of things going on with my family and have needed time to both grieve and heal.
I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter.
Thank you for reading. Please review.