"I said I'm fine...!"
Megumi gripped the edge of the car door, pressing his foot inside the vehicle to prevent his entering. However, because he was injured, he was unable to challenge Nobara's strength as she shoved his bleeding head inside, her hand coated in rain drops.
"Stop being stubborn! You'll bleed out if you don't get to a hospital soon."
The journey to even bring Megumi this far was in itself a miracle, almost. After Megumi stumbled across Nobara and the inmates, the decision had to be made to get everyone out while the curse womb was distracted. Neither of them wanted to leave Yuji behind, but there was litte choice after seeing the state Megumi was in, along with their mission of recovering the trapped inmates, and Ciel did entrust Nobara to make the right call.
It was like Ciel knew that Megumi reached them also. As soon as Nobara caught him in his stumble and carried him over the shoulder, the black keys that surrounded the inmates started to move. That shocked them pretty good, and they all had to hoof it all the way to the exit, no shikigami dog required. Ciel could have left any time she wanted, but chose to stay to hunt the curse womb.
Ijichi watched the two classmates argue as he held an umbrella over their heads.
"You trust that girl, don't you?" Nobara said. "She wouldn't have plunged herself into danger if she knew she couldn't do it."
Megumi stopped his resistance as he listened to Nobara.
"Besides, what good is it gonna do helping her like this? You want to die trying and make all this for nothing?" All their efforts to ensure no more deaths.
An internal struggle that gritted Megumi's teeth, remembering Yuji's self-sacrifice, his plea for Megumi to escape. Ciel's insistence for them to leave. He should have acted sooner. He shouldn't have let his guard down and left those guys to fight for themselves. Megumi couldn't just leave Yuji and Ciel behind.
But he knew Nobara was right. He couldn't do anything to help like this. He'll only get in the way.
"...Dammit. Alright. But I need you to do me a favor," Megumi said as he clasped his fingers together into a wolf sign. If he could help propel his teammates to victory, then he'll do just that. His own well-being be damned. Even if he himself is physically useless, he still had his Ten Shadows.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Kugisaki-san?" After successfully convincing Megumi, albeit with some difficulties, Ijichi turned the question over to Kugisaki.
"I'm staying," Nobara adamantly decided, turning her heel to face the detention center. "I'll wait until those guys are out. That should ease you a little too, right Fushiguro?"
Megumi didn't answer as another assistant helped bandage his head wound inside the car.
"Huuu~ How sweet. You act all cool, but you care about us~" Nobara covered her mouth to hide her snicker, pointing at Megumi through the lowered window in deliberate annoyance.
She dropped the act and gave a light smile. "Don't worry. That bozo and that girl are tough. They'll be fine."
Megumi gave her one last look, and then the dark window rolled up. The inmates had already been escorted away via vehicles up ahead, and Megumi's car was the last to leave. Before his departure, Ijichi informed of his return after dropping off Megumi, wishing Nobara luck.
Nobara watched the last car leave the area before shifting her gaze to the dreary sky. She raised her hand over her eyes, shielding them from the rain. "I should have asked for an umbrella..."
If she gets a cold out of this, she'll make damn sure Yuji and even Ciel took care of her in bed, once this mission is over.
Nobara looked back at the detention center. Megumi's black divine dog sat beside her, acting in Megumi's place as the duo waited, and waited.
Ciel's foot stomped against the wall, and she kicked off into another hallway. The negative energy around here is becoming potent again. The curse womb's power is increasing!
It was one thing to flee from the curse womb, a small window that allowed Nobara and the others to escape with Ciel's black keys as guidance, but to actively go towards the curse womb was another matter. The hallways were twisted, with windows and vents in places they shouldn't be. Not only to confuse but to obstruct.
The curse womb seemed to be aware of her approach, and was attempting to delay it by switching and moving doorways into other areas. Ciel could still pinpoint its location, but her arrival won't be so straightforward. The only merit was that the curse womb seemed to lack the ability to close itself off completely, or perhaps it was not at that level yet. Such a curse should not be allowed to exist any longer if its growth had yet to cease.
-!
Through the next corridor, pipes protrude from all surface. The gaps between them too narrow, no one could simply walk through them.
Ciel threw several black keys and pierced the set of steel, cutting her way through the corridor.
-going to die.
She could sense an essence of his thoughts. She needed to push on. Just a little more!
I don't want to die.
She could smell blood just beyond the corridor. Seared flesh as well.
Frustration. Regret. Anger. Sadness. Fear.
She could sense it all.
"I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
It was like the curse womb was taunting her with echoes of his voice bouncing all over the walls. She hurtled her black keys even faster, plucking them off from the stone with ease in her sprint.
"But I am! I am about to die!"
Ciel's teeth clenched tightly, the pressure in her calves propelling herself further, her arms smashed through the remaining steel until she came upon the wall at the end of the corridor.
If I want people to have a proper death like my grandpa did, then this is something I have to do.
Those were Yuji's words. Yet such a goal could only take a person so far, before reality came to crush them personally.
Ciel kicked into the stone wall, crushing through the exterior without an ounce of hesitation. Through the cloud of debris, she jumped down into the new area where a bridge hung above the waters.
There was a minor swell of cursed energy she sensed down below, but she was too focused on her target to really pay any attention to it.
With a flick of her arms, three black keys shot downwards, towards the curse womb that towered before Yuji.
The curse womb knew the executor was approaching. It wanted to stall her for as long as it could. To first enjoy the delicious despair of this helpless teen. However, the moment Yuji channeled cursed energy into his fist, however weak, it was enough of a show to take the curse womb's attention. Long enough for Ciel to burst in from above, and fired three black keys at its body.
The curse womb braced the impact. It felt the brunt and burn of Ciel's Cremation Rites across its body. However, throughout the hours it spent lurking in its domain, it had gained muscles, and enhanced abilities. Though the black keys were still effective, the curse womb was not as cautious of them anymore.
Ciel landed right in front of Yuji just as he had stood up with his remaining hand clenched in a fist. Her back towards him, but her hair was instantly recognizable.
"Ciel?!"
The cursed energy that had just started to circulate around his fist - channeling all his negative feelings and thoughts into it - quickly died out at his surprise, losing focus like letting paper slip from his hand.
Ciel was certain of it now. Just then, Yuji had tapped into his cursed energy. A stressful environment at this scale would be enough to bring out such potential, but this was not the time - nor was there enough of it - to spare a thought over such a miraculous moment of control.
The enemy before her was still standing. Just as she thought, its body was able to withstand the holy sacraments of her blades. Its evolved past that of a mere curse.
However, it had only shown to be resistant to that particular rite. Were she to introduce others, its body would need time to adapt to them as well. There was only one way to test that theory.
"Yuji-kun!" From her dress, Ciel pulled out more black keys. "Run!"
For now, she must keep the curse womb's attention solely on herself.
In the blink of an eye, her black keys flung for the curse womb. The curse womb was quick to react, however, grasping the flat ends of the swords, and held them between its fingers, holding them in the same stance as she did, openly mocking her through mimicry. A wide grin on its face.
"It caught them-!" Yuji expressed his disbelief, gritting his teeth in panic.
Of course it would... Ciel was unphased. Monsters like this tend to boast their strengths. Vampires were the same. They would go so far as to let someone fire their guns, and then dodge the bullets after, demonstrating their speed.
It's that sort of arrogance that they can be easily taken by surprise.
The black keys in the curse womb's grips glowed. The curse womb noticed, but was too late to throw them back. The weapons exploded in its hands, and a paralyzing effect surge across its whole body. Internment Rite.
The grin was immediately gone from its face. It should have realized the girl had other "spells" embedded in her blades. Its body was immobilized, yellow electric currents all around its flesh.
The petrification is in effect. Here's my chance-! Ciel intended to end this in one go, and she quickly dashed for the curse womb.
The curse womb saw the executor coming. It instinctively felt the end was here, just like that. With no other choice, it quickly focused its energy into its arms, its hands curled.
"-!" Yuji realized what it was doing, and he shouted. "Senpai! Get back-!"
Ciel heard Yuji at the same time she felt something was wrong. She sensed the creature emit energy, and she brought her hand up, enhancing herself with prana.
An energy field erupted from the curse womb, the very same that seared away Yuji's fingers. It would have instantly incinerated Ciel's arm had she not put up a barrier of her own, blocking most of the impact. Her shield came up too late, however, and it burned her hand regardless.
Ciel was forced back, her feet skidded across the floor. Incineration...!
It was similar to the abilities of those flaming dead, but with more concentration, acting as a small dome around the curse womb.
Could it have learned from them? Or was this something it came up with itself? If it was the first, then it could be capable of copying any ability it sees. Its comprehension was uncomfortably rapid.
"Ciel-!" Yuji went to her side, seeing her burnt hand. A severe, bloody red on her palm, the edges burnt just like his fingers, but thankfully spared from becoming short stubs.
"Stay back, Yuji-kun," Ciel said, pulling out more black keys in spite of the pain in her hand, concealing her wince. "I'll create an opening for you to escape. When I give the signal, go."
"But-" Moments ago, Yuji was begging not to be killed, regretting ever setting foot into the role of a jujutsu sorcerer, or even swallowing that damn cursed finger. But seeing Ciel here, injured yet toughing it out, ready to fight the curse womb no matter what, he couldn't do it. He couldn't just leave her.
This thing... Yuji glared at the curse womb. The only counter he could think of to defeat this spirit was forcing Sukuna out, but he couldn't with Ciel here. Sukuna would turn on her as soon as that happened. Dammit...!
He never realized until now, just how utterly weak he really was. He was ashamed to ever believe he was strong before.
You're strong, so help people.
Fuck...! He couldn't just run! He wanted to, but dammit! He wouldn't leave Ciel here. Yuji had to beat the fear and survival instincts out of him to prevent himself from skedaddling. This curse was too much for one person to fight alone!
"...You're not weak for wanting to run."
Yuji was surprised by Ciel's sudden comment, her eyes never leaving the curse womb even as Yuji's did.
"You're only human. There's nothing shameful about that."
After saying this calmly, Ciel dashed for the curse womb once more.
She went for the rear this time and unleashed another set of black keys. The curse womb raised its arms once more, intending to blast away the weapons with another energy barrier.
A surprise attack came in its blind spot, only exposed when the curse womb sensed it. The three black keys Ciel had fired earlier, were actually four. The curse womb failed to spot the fourth black key when it brought up its arms to shield itself - along with its face - from the attack. The fourth one had hidden itself from the side of the bridge they were standing on, and it finally popped back out to tackle the curse womb from behind.
The curse womb merely readied itself for it, focusing its energy barrier to protect itself from all sides, ensuring no weapon would pierce it.
But that was not what the fourth black key was for at all. Instead of flying to stab its body, it instead embedded itself into the stone floor. The other black keys, rather than go directly for the curse womb, redirected themselves towards each other. A clash between the tips of their blades, and the recoil caused them to separate, stabbing into the floor on different ends, all around the curse womb, right where its dome would end.
The curse womb was momentarily confused by this tactic, until it remembered what the nun had done earlier, setting up a barrier that protected the melted victims, and burning any curse that would touch it. The curse womb had to act fast before it would be trapped, abandoning its dome to kick the ground. It flung broken stones with its foot at every black key to destroy them.
It also sent a stone hurtling for Ciel, but she was prepared. Breaking the stone with her fist, she called for her black keys to lift themselves, and pierce through the hailing stones. The simultaneous reaction as well as her quick movements were too in sync for the curse womb to catch up. Too many were coming at it all at once, and it couldn't raise its arms fast enough to summon its dome once more.
Successfully overwhelming the curse, Ciel stepped into its range, threw up her hand, and directed the black keys to take the curse womb's arm. They stabbed through its flesh three-way, coming together almost like a snowflake.
The fourth black key went for the curse womb's face, but it raised its hand in time. The weapon stabbed into its palm, and the curse was ready to either feel the burn or the petrification.
"-?!"
It felt neither, and instead, its blood was immediately drained, causing the muscles in its limb to diminish. Dried up. Mummification Rite.
Ciel telekinetically pushed her three black keys all the way through, severing the curse womb's arm completely. It was not an intentional revenge for Yuji. Logic dictated that the curse womb would need its arms to cast its dome, much like how Megumi needed his hands to summon his shikigamis, or Nobara her hammer. Though not fitting of one for her "faith", if there was anything else to call this, it would be karma.
"Now Yuji-kun! Run!" Ciel jumped over the curse womb, ready to unleash her final barrage and exorcise this beast once and for all.
The curse womb broke into a sweat, but it still had one final move up its sleeve. Channeling a good chunk of its curse energy, even if it meant emptying most of its tank, it focused into its severed wound.
"-?!"
Ciel's eyes widened as she witnessed the wound she created began to close. Regeneration-! It still had that much power even with her Mummification Rite - among all her other attacks? What in the world was fueling this spirit's power?!
Oh no-!
SLAM!
Before the curse womb would complete regenerating its limb, Yuji's cursed-fueled fist knocked the back of the curse womb's head. His look ferocious, determined.
It did nothing, but this sudden attack was enough to deter its focus. As a result, the limb the curse womb recovered missed Ciel's body by an inch.
Ciel resumed without fail, launching black keys into the curse womb's feet, shoulders, and even the center of its head. The curse womb was drenched in sweat now. Out of desperation, it swung its arms back, but it could not move from its position, due to Ciel's Shadow-Pinning Rite [Officially: Nameless].
Ciel grabbed Yuji at her landing and dragged the teen back, distancing themselves from the curse. In a half-kneeling position, under a single breath, Ciel began to utter:
"I will kill. I will let live. I will harm and heal. None will escape me. None will escape my sight.
Be crushed.
I welcome those who have grown old and those who have lost.
Devote yourself to me, learn from me, and obey me.
Rest. Do not forget song, do not forget prayer, and do not forget me."
The curse womb started to thrash madly, feeling the intensity of her Baptism Rite from her black keys. It grabbed the black key at the center of its head, only for it the break and burn the inside of its skull, underneath its tough-layered skin and directly into the brain.
"I am light and relieve you of all your burdens.
Do not pretend. Retribution for forgiveness, betrayal for trust, despair for hope, darkness for light, dark death for the living."
Yuji watched mesmerized as Ciel chanted, unfettered, unwavering as she held him against her protectively. He looked back at the curse womb and all the black keys it was surrounded in, seeing all of them glowing bright.
"Relief is in my hands. I will add oil to your sins and leave a mark.
Eternal life is given through death.
— Ask for forgiveness here. I, the incarnation, will swear."
The curse womb tried everything. It raised its arms to summon its dome, but it was stopped by another set of black keys piercing its limb, all those that Ciel deliberately left behind throughout the detention center. All coming together to finish this beast. Its mummified arm could not do anything but slam its husk against the blade. There was no lifting them either, for only Ciel could remove them.
"— Kyrie eleison".
The curse womb raised its horrific stare at the duo before it, and then a blue light of fire instantly consumed it.
The curse womb shrieked. Its howl heard throughout the entire detention center. It continued to make its noise, until the fire burned away the last bit of its existence.
In its place, a single cursed finger laid. The source of all this madness. Even as the blue fire coated it, the cursed finger was unaffected. Invulnerable.
Yuji couldn't believe it, staring with wide eyes as the cursed domain all around them faded away. "It was that?"
That's what did all this? One of Sukuna's cursed finger. Only one. Not even what happened at his other school was it this bad.
"So that's it." Ciel finally understood the mystery behind the curse womb's abnormality. "I figured there was something peculiar about all this. That makes a lot more sense now."
It was that simple. She said it like it was.
"Are you okay, Yuji-kun?" Ciel then shifted her attention to Yuji, still holding him as he sat next to her. Her asking was fairly casual, as the impending threat was done and over with. "By the looks of it, you really took a beating."
She hovered her hand over Yuji's severed wound. The tight rope of his sleeve stopped the bleeding somewhat. As for his remaining hand, he was missing all of his fingers, most likely from that curse womb's incinerating barrier. He also appeared to be suffering from several broken bones, cuts and gashes all over, and it looked like he'd been crying.
I really am going to give that man hell when I see him. Ciel thought about Gojo as her hand glowed with warm energy. "Please stand still. Your arm and fingers are missing, but I should be able to heal the rest of your injuries."
Yuji perked at that. "You can do that?"
"Yes. It's a common practice amongst us. Hmm..." Ciel's hand paused above Yuji's wounds and slowly pulled back.
Yuji caught a glimpse of her palm and was surprised. The bloody red flesh there was gone, as if never harmed.
It's healed already... She wasn't kidding then.
"Although... I'm not sure how my sacraments would affect your body, you being a half-curse and all," Ciel said. "To be honest, I'm surprised you're still alive. You're a lot tougher than I took you for."
Her eyes lingered over the snot underneath his nose. "Well, as tough as you can be."
...I feel like she's saying 'I told you so'. Yuji wiped the snot from his face. He should feel relieved, but instead, he felt kind of embarrassed.
"Just to be safe, I should refrain from using any of my holy rites on you. Here," Ciel reached behind her dress and spontaneously pulled out a white roll of bandages. Where she kept that was a mystery. "This should help keep the bleeding minimal."
She helped unroll the bandage and wrapped it around Yuji's severed arm. "You should have run like I told you to. I've seen a lot worse injuries in my line of work, but I don't think I've had someone who ignored my orders and deliberately risk their lives further. Did you ran up to the curse womb for a handshake after meeting it? I suppose we should thank Sukuna for making your body so tough."
...Why did this sound like she was victim-blaming? There was a slight purse of Ciel's lips as she commented on Yuji's other injuries, almost like she was rubbing it in. She really wasn't right in the head if she was making fun of him like this. It was getting hard to say 'thank you' to her.
"...It took us by surprise," Yuji answered, a little defensive as Ciel bandaged his other injuries. "Also, that's a bad joke. We're not thanking that guy after he basically left me to fend for myself. He's the reason all this happened, anyway."
"You're right about that," Ciel agreed plainly. "It's also because of him that you have what is essentially a career-ending injury. Although, if we act quickly, we could reattach your arm, but finding it will have to wait."
After finishing her bandaging, Ciel's arm slipped behind Yuji's back and under his knees. "-! Whoa!"
With a single easy heave, Ciel carried Yuji into a cradle. He was a one-seventy pound guy, and yet she was able to lift him like it was nothing.
"Let's get you out of here. Kugisaki-san and Fushiguro-kun should be waiting outside. If any of them were injured, I'm sure they've been taken to the hospital already - along with the inmates."
Fushiguro... Hearing that, a genuine sense of relief filled Yuji's chest. He wasn't going to question how Ciel knew that for sure. She must have came across them earlier before finding him.
With a kick of her feet, Ciel dashed away from the bridge. "Please keep applying pressure to your injuries. We'll be outside soon enough."
"Ah..." Yuji did was he was told, pressing his bandaged little stubs over his bandaged arm-stub. He suddenly recalled. "Wait! There's still two more inmates we need to find."
Ciel did not slow her careful sprint. "...I had already found them hours ago. The dead got to them first... There was nothing left."
Nothing but ash and remnants of their clothes.
"...I see," Yuji's eyes sulked sadly, the failure of rescuing all the inmates weighing in his expression. He wondered if Tadashi was one of them. He was scared what he would say to the mom.
Ciel saw Yuji's reaction. It was only a moment, but she felt a tug in her heart. It should be her burden to bear that responsibility. She was here first, after all. And yet, he would carry it anyway.
Why did you make him into a jujutsu sorcerer, Satoru?
"The domain is down." Nobara sensed the change within the detention center. The black divine dog's ears perked up, sensing this change as well.
"That means... They did it!"
Those two really gave her a scare. Nobara immediately hurried for the detention center building. Megumi's black divine dog followed close beside her, rushing for their allies.
"-! Grrrrr..."
She heard the growl of the black divine dog and noticed its immediate stop. Nobara was forced to stop as well.
"Huh? What's wrong-?"
DANGER.
Nobara instantly froze. A cold sensation down her spine. Her sensor going off the charts.
Steadily, she turned her head partially, looking towards where the shikigami was growling at. And there, she spotted it.
"Это вы вторглись в мою могилу?"
Afar, a tall, pale figure stood in the rain. His black, furry coat over his shoulders like a cape. His hair a pale gray. And his eyes.
His red eyes bore through her like a bite to her soul. There was no mistaking what she was looking at. No mistake at all. Just like in the folktales and movies. His appearance said it all.
Vampire.
Author's Note: whaaat? New chapter already?! Well. What can i say, i like this story.
Let me know what you guys thought about that fight scene. I might rewrite it a little. Thanks for reading! See ya next time!