CH. 26 'Time's up' OR 'You wanted my help right?'
She went as fast as she possibly could, not looking back, not pausing to second guess her actions. She ran home using her cursed energy for an extra boost, and she managed to get there relatively quickly for the long distance she covered. Once she did, she hadn't quite made it to her bed before she threw herself onto the floor, falling onto all fours and heaving for breath.
So, this is what it had come to. What was she thinking? Was this really the best way forward? Her entire body was shaking and it wasn't from the effort of getting here so quickly. It was the idea of everything that had just transpired in the last few hours and everything that was still to come.
In a daze, she wished, for what felt like the millionth time in as much as the last few days, that she wasn't completely alone in this. Part of her longed for her Kyoto friend Taj's unbiased opinion. Someone who had absolutely no knowledge of the jujitsu world and could speak to her strictly on matters of love and the heart without all of the convoluted politics of it all. The other part yearned for what she was certain would now be an irretrievably broken friendship with Utahime. A friend who had absolutely zero comprehension of what she ever saw in Gojo and would never ever understand or support anything that she could possibly love in Sukuna, but was no doubt a friend who had become the closest thing to a sister that Rinami had in the sorcerer world. At this point she'd gladly welcome input from both of them on her current situation, good (highly unlikely) or bad (indisputably definite). But instead, she'd face this next act all alone, and the feeling left her both terrified and devastated.
Climbing up from the spot she'd fallen to on the floor, she slung her carry pack over her shoulder, and gathering her courage she steeled herself and prepared to return. She was going to have to face this all head on, like it or not. She forced herself unsteadily back to the door of her new apartment of not even 24 hours, and looked around. She was fairly certain she wouldn't be returning, not that there was much here to return to. It was just too bad that this tiny little space was all that remained of her life now, and soon even that would be gone.
As Rinami dashed back and returned to the site, the fight between the two was still raging on. With the amount of momentum that was going, she doubted that either had even realized that she'd left. However as she looked at them now, she realized that she was able to finally follow bits of the battle. Were they slowing down? Breathing hard from her own exhaustion, she looked closely and could see that they were. It was subtle, but it was enough that she could now at least track them somewhat. She could also see that both had sustained some level of injury. A pain ached in her chest. Sukuna being hurt was almost impossible for her to fathom. And when was the last time she'd seen Gojo take damage? Wait…had she ever?
It was enough. She needed this to stop before it got out of hand and further than she'd be able to do anything about. Dismayed, she watched as one of them went flying across the landscape in front of her, the other in hot pursuit. Her heart caught in her chest as the ground flew up around them. It was so intense. Gojo was right - this ended today. It had to.
Gathering her courage once again, she willed herself for what came next. Self-sacrifice wasn't completely unfamiliar to her, but this level of it… that would be something different.
Bracing herself for the next steps, she leapt into action. Rendering a blinding white light flashing through the area, she stepped in between the two of them. She coated the entire area with nothing but white so that the only thing that stood out was herself, Gojo, and Sukuna.
Shaking, and unable- and at this point unbothered- to stop herself, she turned first to Sukuna. Her amber eyes met his red-hot ones as she looked directly at him, but spoke instead to Gojo. "You wanted my help right, Satoru?" it was tough, but she paused only briefly, she didn't want to give either of them a chance to speak, otherwise she might lose her nerve and never get through this. "Well I agree- he can't be allowed to continue. This death and destruction- it can't ever happen again." Rinami's eyes didn't leave Sukuna's. It was so incredibly painful to say these words and have to look him in the eyes at the same time. "I bear responsibility for it and I'll do whatever I need to, to fix it. But…. If you want that from me, I'll need you to give me what I want too"
She turned her head to look squarely at Gojo. "I've explained how I feel and I've come to terms with the fact that I just won't get that to change. I also won't just stand knowingly by as an accomplice anymore. So…Do what needs to be done, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm sorry - You'll have to go through me to do it."
The reaction to her last words was about what she expected. Both Sukuna and Gojo began to talk at once.
"What are you talking about?"
"What exactly are you doing?"
"Ami-"
"'Rin-"
The two of them were talking over each other and it was pretty difficult for Rinami to distinguish between who was saying what. Not that it really mattered though. It all sounded like about the same thing and none of it changed anything that she'd said.
She didn't want to hear anymore. Her mind was made up on this – the decision made. She shook her head wildly from side to side, her eyes squeezed shut and her hair flying in and out of her face.
"Just do it Satoru! I've realized… I can't just sit to the side and watch you kill him, but I know that as long as he's here and alive the chaos will never end. This type of destruction can't stop until he's gone. I get that! It's just… his death… I can't live with that- can't live without him. Or rather, I don't want to! This is the only way it all works out… If he has to die, then I'm going with him. So just do it! Please."
Goku looked completely perplexed. "No way in hell. I think you've lost your shit, Rin. What the fuck are you thinking?"
Rin was steadfast. "I won't do it any other way. I CAN'T do it any other way, without betraying either my heart or everything that I believe in."
"Well, I'm not doing that shit"
Behind her Rinami could hear Sukuna as well. "I don't know what you think you're doing…"
She ignored both of them. She had balled her hands into fists so tightly that the nails had dug deep into her palms, and the blood was now dripping down steadily into the ground below her. She payed it no mind. Instead she straightened her arms out, pushing them forcefully towards the ground, fists squeezed, as she screamed it from the depths of her body.
"DO IT!"
It was her last stand. If this failed she'd be left with only the doomsday option and irregardless of the brave face she was putting on, she didn't want to push that button. If she did, all bets were off, and as bad as this already was, the end result would actually be even more bleak. That button would be the real, true equivalent of the one thing she absolutely didn't want, the thing that she was willing to give her life to not have to do- actually having to make a life or death decision between the two of them. This way was the coward's way and she knew it, but she was okay with that. Time was up and she didn't have any options left. Sukuna would be be gone and he'd never cause damage to this world again.
Gojo blew a large puff of air out the side of his mouth.
"Sorry, but I think you might be losing it Rin. Or have already lost it I guess. What you're talking is batshit crazy."
As he said the last few words he appeared behind her and swiftly put a hand to her head, rendering her unconscious. He quickly caught her before she could fall, and holding her limp body in his arms, he raised his head to look up at Sukuna.
Sukuna stood stern and motionless, his red eyes following the movements in front of him, his mouth set in a firm line. He made no attempt to move, to stop Gojo or otherwise. Gojo took this as assent, an unspoken agreement between the two that this was a temporary truce, to take care of the obviously distressed woman that was loved by both of them. He knew he couldn't leave her here defenseless; the area was too dangerous. He'd have to take her home. Without looking up from her, he spoke briefly to Sukuna. "I'll return"
Pulling her body securely against his, Gojo warped over to Rinami's apartment building. As he appeared in the small apartment of her building, he found himself standing in the middle of her bedroom – alone. Staring down at his empty hands it only took a second for him to put it together.
"Shit."
He immediately warped back to the battle site, but he already knew he would be too late for whatever it was that Rinami was planning.
As Gojo disappeared from the battle site, Sukuna watched with only mild shock as Rinami stepped out from behind the broken remains of some type of building, and walked quickly towards him. Everything she'd said and done in the past few minutes had been so bizarre that he wasn't going to be surprised by much at this point.
He gave her a wary smirk. "So, Gojo?"
Rinami dropped her eyes in a look of pained regret.
"He's delayed right now, but he'll be back soon "
Sukuna eyed her up and down. "What's this all about Ami?"
She met his eyes. Hers were the eyes of someone headed off to the executioner's block. Someone who had already given up and resigned themselves to their fate. She raised her shoulders sadly and seemed unable to bring them back down.
"It's everything I said Sukuna. I really meant all of it"
He raised his head slightly as he looked at her. "So you would see me dead then?"
She sighed and the life appeared to blow out of her body, her shoulders dropping and sagging. "If you couldn't stop this mad reach for power, then yes, I'd see you dead and myself right along with you."
She looked dismally up at him. "That's not what I want though." Letting out a heavy sigh, she continued. "I don't expect you to get it. The world is a safer place without you here in it, it just so happens that a world without you living in it, is also not one that I want to live in. This is the only compromise that I can come up with. I pretty much can't live with anything else." She blinked hard while her chest tightened in pain.
She took a step towards him, reaching an arm out to him. She was entirely unsurprised when he took a corresponding step back away from her, his eyes cold and unwavering. "I know with everything I've said today as well as the other day, you might doubt it now, but I love you Sukuna- so much. I really do. You have no idea how much it hurts to have it all come to this point."
Hesitancy flickered across her face, then her eyes darted to the side, looking off towards something he couldn't see. "Time's up." she said, and the resolve etched itself again into her eyes.
Moving quickly, she sprinted forward, coming face to face with him. Giving him very little time to react she raised her face and breathed out, "A last one to hold on to…" and she moved forward and tenderly placed her mouth on his. He didn't push her off, but neither did he eagerly reciprocate. However, as she slowly pulled away, she suddenly gasped, and as he watched, her eyes shot open and blood began to trickle from the corner of her mouth. She stumbled back and coughed, a huge spurt of blood expelling from her mouth. Sukuna reached a hand towards her, his expression uncertain.
Suddenly the surroundings began to waiver, and behind Rinami, Gojo could be seen arm outstretched, his face also wearing a confused expression.
"Rin?"
He moved quickly and was almost to her side just before she hit the ground once again, but this time he was beaten out by Sukuna who had moved forward and caught her before she'd made contact. He kneeled with one knee on the ground the other up, cradling her head as he tried to make sense of what just happened. His shock was apparent and plastered openly on his face.
Gojo instead stood stunned nearby watching the scene, his despair plainly on display.
"What did you do!? I fired that 'red' at Sukuna- That was meant for Sukuna! Don't tell me you hid yourself? Rin, why?"
She tried to turn her head and opened her mouth to speak, but could only gurgle up blood. Choking, she coughed and sprayed blood droplets everywhere, while blood began to overflow from her mouth and down the side of her face. Gojo paused and then stepped forward. "Give her to me." He demanded of Sukuna. "I can get her to Ieri, it might not be too late"
Sukuna looked down at the dying woman held gently in his arms, uncertainty in his eyes. He looked up into Gojo's impatient face, and back to her. Then, while she watched on with watery eyes, he raised a blood-soaked hand and softly caressed her cheek. His shoulders stiffened and began to shake as he leaned over her and closed his eyes. Struggling internally, without looking back to Gojo the only word Sukuna was able to form was a murmured "No."