Chapter 11: Clouded thoughts
2018, October 1st
Clouds gathered low over the clearing as the final day of training began. Yuji stood at the center of the field, sweat beading down his temple. Across from him, Saber raised her invisible blade with practiced calm, her feet light, her stance impeccable.
"Ready yourself," she said.
Yuji nodded, dropping into his stance. "Let's go."
Without further warning, Saber vanished. Wind screamed through the air as her blade descended. Yuji reacted instinctively, slipping just outside the arc of her strike and countering with a swing of his blade that she deflected with ease.
Still, Saber's gaze narrowed.
He's faster than yesterday.
Their spar became a blur of movement—Yuji leaping, ducking, weaving, fists and blade clashing against wind and steel. Though Saber held back, the pressure she exuded was still immense.
On the edge of the clearing, Gojo leaned against a tree, arms crossed, blindfold pushed up to his forehead. Beside him, Rin Tohsaka stood quietly, eyes sharp behind her composed expression.
"He's improving," Rin admitted.
"Mm. Kid's a natural," Gojo said. "If we had a couple of months, he might actually give Saber more of a real challenge."
"But we don't have that long," Rin said, folding her arms. Her gaze flicked toward the pair sitting further back: Megumi and Nobara, both nursing bruises from their last round of drills.
"How are they?"
Gojo shrugged. "Megumi's domain control is still unreliable. Good instincts, but not ready. Nobara's sharp, focused, but too reliant on her tools. She's clever, though. If anyone finds a workaround, it'll be her."
Rin frowned. "Clever won't always be enough in a fight to the death."
"That's why they have their great teacher to protect them~," Gojo replied.
Back on the field, Yuji landed a glancing blow to Saber's shoulder—nothing serious, but enough to make her step back.
"I finally managed to strike you," Yuji said, panting as he was left on the defensive.
"Indeed," Saber replied, voice even. "Your strike was better placed than before. But it was nothing that is truly harmful. You must go further."
Yuji grinned through his exhaustion. "I'll do my best!"
She inclined her head, the faint ghost of a smile appearing. "Good."
Megumi watched in silence, his fingers twitching slightly against the grass. "He's improving too fast."
"Jealous?" Nobara asked, wiping at her forehead. "I know I am." She makes a disgruntled sounds before rising with a wince.
"He better not overdo it," Megumi murmured. "I don't get at all how he can keep going like that all the time."
Nobara didn't reply. Her jaw tightened before stretching with a sigh. "Come on, we've taken long enough of a break. I don't want to explain to our teachers why you were slacking."
"You were the one who suggested resting first." Megumi said, his stare deadpan before getting up himself. They both paused to watch the last of the fight.
The sparring session ended with Saber disarming Yuji, his foot sliding back through the dirt as he caught his breath. Saber, with not a hair out of place or any sign of fatigue, lowered her blade.
"That will suffice," she said.
Yuji nodded, breathing heavily. "Thanks. I'll get better."
"You will," she replied, confident in her words.
As the group reconvened near the trees, the air grew heavier.
Rin glanced around. "This is our last day before the duel with Ruler. Everyone needs to be ready."
Yuji wiped the sweat from his brow. "I'll do my best." His expression hardened, ready once again to return back to training.
Gojo chuckled, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "That's the spirit."
But as the wind passed over the clearing once more, there was a worry over the heads of everyone that was left unsaid.
Was this enough?
Certainly not for many.
Only Yuji had begun to reach the edge of something greater—something more. And the rest could only hope to catch up before it was too late.
2018, October 1st
The sun dipped low behind the horizon, casting long shadows across the training field. The air was thick with the scent of sweat, magic, and scorched grass—evidence of a day spent pushing the limits.
Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara had already been dismissed to rest. The field was quiet now, with residual cursed energy dissipating in the breeze.
Rin adjusted her gloves as she stepped toward the edge of the clearing, her expression tight with thought. Gojo stood a few feet away, idly balancing a rock on his finger like it was weightless. Saber stood between them, her hands clasped behind her back, expression calm but attentive.
"We're running out of time," Rin said, breaking the silence.
Saber nodded. "Yuji—he's improved rapidly. Remarkably so. But it won't be enough."
Gojo didn't answer immediately. He let the rock fall and crushed it underfoot with casual ease. "He's tough, and got good instincts. But he's still not enough to handle Ruler alone. Well, not like it'll be needed." Gojo shrugged, letting the rock fall from his hand to the ground.
Rin's arms folded across her chest. "None of them are. We were hoping the training would bring them closer, but even with Saber assisting… the gap is still too wide." Rin shakes her head. "But we already knew that going into this."
"Pressure can be a powerful motivator," Saber said. "We have no shortage of Servants and skilled warriors—each one an opportunity to bring Ruler to heel."
"You'd think it a vacation for him when Ruler is around," Gojo said, his tone amused. "Hard to train Yuji properly when the monster you're trying to beat is eating his lunch and acting like a guest of honor." His expression turns more serious in thought. "But I'm not sure how truthful that act is."
Saber's gaze narrowed. "You suspect he is hiding something."
Gojo smiled—but it didn't reach his eyes. "I think he's playing a longer game. And he doesn't do anything without reason."
Rin's voice dropped. "Then what's his reason for staying idle? For humoring Yuji, or even joining our meals?"
Gojo's silence was telling.
"I don't know," he said at last. "But I don't like how little we've seen of what he can really do. It's not like him to stay quiet from everything I've seen of his living self."
"He may be waiting for the real Grail War to begin," Saber offered. "Or for a foe worthy of his strength."
Rin rubbed her temple. "We can't afford to wait him out. We don't even know what is going on with this war."
Gojo tilted his head slightly. "There are… other options."
Rin narrowed her eyes. "Such as?"
Gojo didn't answer right away. He looked out at the darkening field, expression unreadable.
"There is some magecraft I have been learning," he said quietly. "Ones that are pretty old from my families records. Not sure how useful all of them are. Who knew we had so much on something we don't use anyway?"
"Anything you need to tell us?" Rin asked, gaze sharp.
Gojo grinned again. "Relax. I still trust you, Tohsaka. I'm just not in the mood to toss my cards on the table before the game even starts. It'll either work or it doesn't."
Saber stepped forward. "Then we must prepare with what we have. If you or Yuji are to fail, I shall go next. "
Rin nodded slowly. "Perhaps. We should double check our options just in case. His stories on slaying dragons has me concerned on any conceptual advantages."
Gojo exhaled, turning back toward them with a shrug and a smug grin. "I mean this is a lot of worrying considering I'm going to win."
Rin's lips thinned. "Right."
2018, October 2nd
The mist hadn't yet lifted from the trees, and the morning sun crept lazily over the horizon. Thin beams of light filtered through the branches, casting long shadows across the forest floor.
Yuji sat on a moss-covered rock near the edge of the clearing, arms draped over his knees, a can of vending machine coffee untouched beside him. His tired gaze was distant, lost somewhere past the veil of trees.
"You're wasting your time."
The voice echoed inside him — cold, dry, and bored. Sukuna's tone always grated in the early hours.
"I'm not doing this," Yuji said softly, not looking up.
Sukuna's presence was a constant he could do without. "You've seen it too in dreaming, haven't you? Ruler would be better dead. I know I shall have my fun when I get a chance."
Yuji's hands clenched around his knees. "Ruler isn't going to do anything once I win."
"You're wrong." Sukuna's voice sharpened, and for once, it wasn't laced with mockery — it was something colder, more knowing. "He will outlast you. He will destroy you. And when he does, he'll ruin everything you fought for."
"I don't believe that."
"You should."
Yuji stood abruptly, the coffee can tumbling to the ground and rolling away in the grass. "I'm not killing someone just because you're scared of them."
Sukuna's silence was brief — filled with a silent disbelief. "If you're so intent on dying — or dragging others with you — at least make the spectacle worth watching."
"That's not happening either!"
"...foolish," he murmured. "Do as you wish."
Yuji turned away. "I made my choice. You're not going to change it."
He thought he hated Sukuna.
But the dreams… they hadn't fueled his anger. They made him understand. Made him pity him.
And he didn't want to.
2018, October 2nd
At the edge of the woods, Ijichi looked like he hadn't slept in three days.
"I'm sorry—you want me to maintain a curtain while you have a fight...?"
Gojo clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be so dramatic. It's just a spar."
"With Sukuna?!"
"Well, technically it's with Ruler. Sukuna's just… still with Yuji." Gojo's grin was far too cheerful for the situation.
Ijichi looked moments away from a complete nervous breakdown as he adjusted his glasses with shaking hands. "I swear to every god there is—if I survive this I'm taking a month off."
"You deserve it," Rin said mildly, arms folded as she watched the clearing from the shade of a tree. "Just don't drop the curtain."
Standing with her was Saber, her arms by her sides. "So long as Yuji keeps his head, he should get through this." Despite her words, her focus was keenly focused on where Ruler waited.
"He will." Megumi's voice cut in. He stepped up beside Rin, gaze trained on Yuji as he approached the center of the field. "Yuji knows the risk. He'll do his best." His voice was strained and he had his hands clenched by his side.
Nanami stood nearby, his posture relaxed but his expression unreadable. "Still. We should make sure nothing goes wrong."
Yuta nodded beside him, hand resting lightly on his sword's hilt. His Servant, Ryouma, leaned lazily against a tree, Oryou floating silently above.
"I'd rather not fight Ruler today," Yuta said quietly, "but I want to see what he's planning."
Across the field, Ruler waited.
He stood calmly at the opposite end, arms folded inside the wide sleeves of his white robes. The morning sun painted faint gold into the black markings on his skin. His expression was unreadable — his usual composed demeanor intact, though his smile was just slightly too calm for comfort.
Yuji stepped into the clearing, stopping about twenty feet away.
"What are you going to do if you win," he asked.
Ruler tilted his head. "I already made my conditions clear, did I not?"
"Not that." Yuji said, his tone curt. "I meant if you win the grail war, and get your wish."
Ruler's eyes didn't waver. His voice was calm, measured. "To live once more would be quite the experience. I'm sure there will be others in the world who can now entertain me."
He tilted his head slightly, gaze sharp. "There is much to savor in this world." A faint smirk touched the corner of his mouth. "And it doesn't taste the same in this false body."
Yuji didn't answer. He simply dropped into a fighting stance.
The air went still.
From the treeline, Gojo's voice broke the silence. "Ijichi, curtain's up?"
The black barrier filled through the surrounding area, and the forest was slowly bathed in darkness as it settled over the grounds, cutting them off from the outside world.
Ijichi, sweating, muttered, "It's up. Please, no one die."
Gojo smiled faintly, but didn't answer.
In the clearing, Ruler stepped forward — not rushing, but walking slowly.
Ruler raised a hand.
"Come, then. Show me your worth."
The clash began.
Yuji moved first.
A blur of movement, cursed energy flaring as he drew the sword with practiced speed. The steel arced through the morning air in a downward stroke. Ruler stepped sideways with casual ease, hand flashing forward to meet the blade with his bare palm.
Steel met flesh. Yuji felt the shock up his arms as the blow halted.
Ruler's palm bled. A thin line of red. His eyes gleamed.
"Good grief," he said, and then struck. The back of Ruler's hand cracked into Yuji's ribs. Yuji went flying, tumbling through dirt and leaves, his sword skittering beside him. He coughed once, blood flecking his lip, and pushed himself up. Pain laced through his side, but he ignored it.
"Surely you have been training before this?" Ruler said. "Come on, do your best."
Yuji grabbed his sword and sprang back into a fighting stance. He adjusted his grip, lowering his center of gravity. He charged again, cursed energy flaring in sync with each step. He ducked low, slashed upward, then twisted into a knee aimed at Ruler's gut.
The blade grazed Ruler's shoulder, leaving no wound. The knee never landed.
Ruler caught his leg and hurled him across the field. Yuji hit a tree trunk with a thud and rolled to his feet, and came in once more.
Megumi watched silently. "He's adjusting faster than before."
Gojo's smile thinned.
Saber remained expressionless, but her hand drifted to the hilt of her invisible blade.
Yuji stood again. His breath came heavier now, but his grip on the longsword remained firm. His feet dug into the soil. He took a step forward. His grip on the longsword changed, more fluid, as he tried more and more ways to harm Ruler. His stance narrowed. He moved again.
This time, he struck with practiced fluidity. His sword danced between his strikes — low arcs, sweeping feints, spinning footwork backed by cursed-enhanced physicality. Fist, blade, elbow, blade again.
Ruler blocked, parried, deflected. His expression shifted slightly.
Yuji's next strike grazed Ruler's cheek—
—and the world twisted.
A memory goes through his mind quickly, of clinging onto his mother with four arms (he didn't have four arms).
Slaughter. Fire. A shrine of bones and flesh. A throne atop a mountain of corpses.
Yuji blinked. Sweat rolled down his neck.
Ruler smiled. Then he twisted and drove a fist into Yuji's chest.
The boy crashed to the ground. Groaning. But he stood.
Inside Yuji, something stirred.
A voice, ragged and angry.
"Must you be this feeble, even now?"
Yuji winced. "Sukuna." Internally, he was more confused. Sukuna had never taken a personal interest in his fights before like this.
"You want power, brat? Then toss everything else meaningless away except for what you want. Or die choking on it."
After saying that, Sukuna went quiet. The silence reigned for a few seconds before he heard the amused laughter of Ruler.
"How amusing." Ruler for the first time since the fight had begun, seemed motivated. "I see now what you are doing. Then let us see who can eat each other faster then, shall we?"
Yuji stared at Ruler, struck dumb as he tried to figure out what Ruler was saying between his headache. He barely saw Ruler coming, managing to put his arms in front of him with the blade inbetween as Ruler struck him. His headache worsened.
Flying backwards, he smashed through trees behind him before rolling to a stop. He threw himself at Ruler again almost immediately, meeting him partway.
Ruler met him with a smile, Yuji's blade deflected by Rulers arms, while his limbs collided with Yujis in bursts of cursed energy and steel. But Yuji didn't falter. His every step learned from the last. Every failed attack improved on instinct even as he was brutalized and pushed back.
Another tree falls as he is slammed backwards into it, straining as Ruler slammed downwards at him, a crater being smashed into the ground as Yuji rolls out of the way.
"Heh." Ruler used one of his free hands to slash towards Yuji with Dismantle, who aborted one of his strikes to block it as he stood up once more. Blood dripped from his nose. His head throbbed. His ribs screamed.
Ruler walked toward him. "What a droll life you lived." He says, his tone bored. "Surely you could have done more then that."
Yuji's breathing was ragged. "What… are you talking… about...?"
"The memories we keep pouring into each other," Ruler said. "don't tell me you haven't even realized?" Ruler chuckles to himself shaking his head.
Yuji rose slowly. He had been trying to ignore it, the headache and all those strange memories. He didn't want them at all.
He set his jaw. But he knew what he did want.
The next exchange was different.
It felt like how it did when he had been first learning with Todo — he tried to learn. To observe. To absorb. But it was so much faster then even then that he was struggling to keep up.
Ruler wasn't letting him rest either.
As much as Ruler seemed to be enjoying himself, he noticeably slowed down the same way Yuji did each time they clashed. (And Yuji didn't know why he kept getting the same memory twice. And why they kept being more and more different from each other.)
With every move Ruler made, something inside him clicked. His body got only more and more efficient, and he was punished less and less for his mistakes.
Instead of worrying what this all meant, or what he was going to do, he focused on his one goal right now.
Punching Ruler in the face.
He swung his sword again. This time, running cursed energy through it seemed so much simpler. Things he didn't understand before now coming together.
"I had prepared to feast on spirits alone, but savoring someone's experience like marrow from bone… now that's a flavor I didn't expect. Delightful."
Yuji didn't respond. He couldn't.
He swung the sword again. The cursed energy gathered much faster. Ruler stepped into Yuji's guard with terrifying precision, his fist crashing down in a blur. The impact hurled Yuji backward, his boots tearing through the earth.
Yuji lunged again—only to be parried effortlessly. Ruler spun behind him, an elbow slamming into his ribs.
Yuji stumbled, breath knocked from his lungs, one knee hitting the ground.
Ruler advanced without pause. A sweep of his leg sent Yuji crashing into the dirt, his body skipping across the ground like a stone across water.
The sword clattered beside him. His hands trembled.
Ruler stood over him.
"It's over."
Yuji didn't speak. His hand twitched toward the sword as he struggled to rise.
Ruler stood at the edge of the clearing, hands behind his back, eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.
Yuji's other hand curled into a fist as he picked up the sword. Yuji's eyes refocused, and the wind shifted as he moved forward once again.
A blur of golden motion surged forward—Ruler, with the ease of a man barely trying, met Yuji's renewed charge. But this time, Yuji didn't come at him empty-handed. Steel caught the sun.
Yuji's longsword, hummed with cursed energy. He moved with more intent now—the blade swept low, rising into a diagonal arc, catching Ruler by surprise as he tilted his head to avoid it.
The sword barely short of striking on flesh.
Ruler laughed. A low, delighted sound. "Much better."
He batted the blade aside with the back of his hand, the force jarring Yuji's grip. The boy twisted with the momentum, using the hilt to jab at Ruler's ribs—a move Ruler caught with ease, grabbing the weapon mid-motion and pushing Yuji back.
Yuji landed hard, rolled, and came up swinging.
"Hmm... still not good enough yet?" Ruler said, slipping past the next blow with ease. "Keep mimicking scraps long enough, and you might almost be entertaining."
Yuji didn't reply. His breath came short and fast, but his eyes burned with focus. Each strike had more weight, more clarity. The way he moved now was unnaturally clean—reflexes not entirely his own.
A memory. A cleaver slicing through flesh. Laughter as he carved. Hands piled, blood spilled, a shrine bathed in red light.
Yuji ignored it all as he struck again and again at Ruler.
He swung the longsword with as he felt his muscles burned, the cursed energy flaring blue. Ruler caught it on his arm as he moved it to the side. And then, the cursed energy crackled a deep black as Yujis fist followed that movement into a—
—Black Flash.
Ruler grunted as he placed his arms in the way, one of them breaking at the impact as the world warped, and he faltered. Yuji flowed into a strike to Rulers side before a swift retaliatory fist to the chest from Ruler pushes him back.
"Better." Ruler said. His arm already beginning to heal.
But Yuji didn't hear him. Not fully. He moved again, his blade flashing.
Strike. Dodge. Redirect. Punch.
This time, cursed energy focused to a fine point through the sword. The entire blade glowed for a moment, the cursed energy folding into itself and snapping into alignment with a surge of black light. The impact cracked the earth beneath Ruler's feet, forcing the man to skid back as he held a strange trident like weapon held in front of him.
Ruler's eyes gleamed.
"Two? No, you're almost getting the rhythm now. Impressive."
And then, for the first time, Ruler raised a hand holding the trident.
Hiten.
Yuji had heard about it from Gojo. They weren't sure exactly if Ruler was going to have weapons, but at least Yuji had managed to make him take it out.
The trishula like trident was regal—sleek, ancient, and crackling faintly with vapor and pressure. Clouds curled lazily at its prongs, a slow mist forming around the base.
The atmosphere had changed completely. A low hum filled the air, and it had the faint smell of rain as Ruler held it in front of him.
Ruler twirled it once, the weapon leaving a faint spiral of mist in the air. "You earned this. Don't disappoint me."
Yuji gritted his teeth and charged.
Their weapons met with a clash that shattered the silence of the watching forest. Steel on celestial trident, cursed energy clashing through their weapons.
Compared to before, Yuji felt as if a new pressure was constantly upon him, as if the very air itself was fighting him. He had to put in just that much more effort to deflect or strike out at Ruler.
In comparison, Ruler seemed only faster, pointedly only cutting or stabbing Yuji in places enough to be painful but not enough to end the fight.
Each blow Yuji struck was answered, parried, or redirected with graceful ease. But Ruler no longer stood still. His trident weaved, arced, danced with a fluid grace, countering Yuji's furious offense.
Yuji dove low, swung his sword in a broad arc, which Ruler tried to capitalize on immediately.
Letting go of his weapon, he ducked under Ruler's forward stab as a half formed idea came to his mind. He reached upwards and latched onto the trident. Clearly amused, Ruler went to wrench it out of his hands and say something.
"Heaven falls, cloud splits. The calamity speaks, and the sky drowns the earth." Yuji said, the words coming to his lips even as he felt something strain from within.
Eyes widening, Ruler tried to wrench Hiten from Yujis hands, but Yuji held on for dear life as he he is wrenched around.
Never in his life had Yuji tried talking this fast. He choked as Ruler struck into him with his fists, and felt his bones start to give.
"Kneel, and taste the flood that scours the soul." Yuji said.
Yuji stepped forward and upwards to push Ruler backwards—and Yuji grabbed his dropping sword with his spare hand and flipped his grip, slamming the pommel into Ruler's side with a black light infused crack even as Ruler broke some of his ribs.
Ruler stumbled. Briefly.
"HITEN!" Yuji said, blood pouring from his lips as he gave a delirious smile.
His cursed energy rapidly dropped as the area rapidly grew dark, and rain started pouring down in a torrential downpour. Yuji felt himself be almost weightless for a moment before he was flung backwards.
Ruler smiled as he stared up at the sky, his arms outstretched even as his wounds healed.
"Yes. Yes! This is how it should feel!"
Now nothing but broken bones, bruises and bleeding all over, Yuji felt as if he couldn't breath properly. But he got up once again. He couldn't let himself falter here.
He could feel something building up above him even now.
"Let's end this before you break apart. I'd hate for the fun to die so soon."
Hiten struck downward between flashes of lightning above at a blinding speed.
Yuji raised his sword in time to block, but the impact hurled him across the clearing. His body slammed into the ground, skidding past cracked roots and churned dirt. He coughed, rolled, and forced himself upright with trembling arms.
Ruler stepped forward, slowly.
Yuji's blade trembled in his hands. He raised it again.
Ruler stopped. His smile faded slightly. "You should fall."
Yuji wiped blood from his chin. "Not yet."
Ruler raised Hiten—and then dismissed it. The weapon vanished into mist.
"Be proud," Ruler said. "but there is much growth for you to do before you are worth eating more of, little fish."
He moved.
Yuji saw the punch, but couldn't dodge it.
Ruler's fist caught him in the jaw, spinning him. Another slammed into his stomach, doubling him over. Then a knee rose into his chest, lifting him into the air.
He crashed to the ground. "Try dodging... this." Yuji felt a grin come to his face before he blacked out.
He didn't hit the ground. Gojo was already there, catching him before he fell.
Ruler's gaze snapped upward as cursed energy surged like a thunderhead. Above him, the clouds thickened unnaturally—drawn in by the invocation of Hiten. The sky darkening in spirals. With a flick of Ruler's hand, Hiten responded, trying to wrest the heavens themselves back under his control. Wind screamed through the trees, water surged upward from the earth, and the air crackled with the charged scent of ozone.
The storm had a mind of its own, and it wanted to consume. Ruler could only pull some of the power out of its effects as it crashed down around him.
A bolt of lightning lanced downward, not once but in a rapid succession—forking across the battlefield like divine judgment. Each impact came with the weight of a divine hammer, turning soil to steam and carving trenches through the ruined ground. Water followed in its wake, erupting in geysers and crashing waves that chased the lightning in a great crash. Wind struck next—slashing, howling, folding the storm inward on Ruler. He raised his arms, Hiten twisting with a hiss of vapor, and spun it in wide arcs, parting the cyclone of elemental chaos just enough to stay upright.
But even as Ruler weathered the worst of it, his feet dragged across the broken earth. His garments shredded at the edges, his skin singed and soaked, muscles taut from the strain of moving the storm itself. The ground quaked beneath him—momentarily submerged beneath the weight of heaven's wrath. When at last the storm receded, pulled back into the cursed spear's prongs with a great sigh, Ruler remained standing—but only barely. Smoke curled from his shoulders. Water ran from his chin. His grip on Hiten was firm, yet his breath came in ragged, heavy intervals. He smiled faintly.
"Now that," he muttered, "was a proper dish."
Everyone else stepped inside the boundary of the curtain, the faint shimmer of cursed energy parting like a veil to reveal the battlefield beyond. What greeted them stopped most in their tracks.
The once-forested clearing had been reduced to a ruin. Trees had been stripped to splinters, the ground gouged with trenches from water and wind. Smoke curled from scorched earth where lightning had struck, and rain still trickled in fine mist across the debris. The air was heavy with the residual pressure of the Noble Phantasm — like standing at the edge of a disaster site just moments after the catastrophe ended.
A silence fell over the group.
Saber stood silently beside Rin, her eyes narrowed. Yuta clenched his fists.
Nanami exhaled softly. "What in the world..."
Megumi's brows furrowed as he took in the landscape, his hands clenched at his sides. "This… I've only seen this much destruction from Gojo."
"Was that—" Nobara's voice trailed off as her eyes locked onto the storm-wracked epicenter, where Ruler still stood amid the ruin. "How the hell is he still alive?"
Ruler's figure looked almost unreal in the distance — drenched, smoke rising off him, but upright nonetheless. Hiten remained in his grasp, the storm that had wrecked the land slowly dissolving around him.
Yuta exhaled slowly. "He dampened the storm. He must have used his control over Hiten to redirect the worst of it. But…" He shook his head, his voice trailing with disbelief. "That storm should've wiped out everything within a hundred meters. And he's still standing. That's amazing."
Gojo, with Yuji carried in his arms, let out a long whistle, stepping up beside them with a lazy grin. "Now that's what I call a field test."
Everyone turned toward him.
"Is now the time?" Saber asked, her tone faintly disapproving, arms folded tightly.
Gojo's eyes gleamed behind his blindfold. "Oh, I've seen disasters. I've caused a few some might call close. But someone who walks out of something like that who isn't me?" He nodded once, the grin never quite fading. "Now I'm really interested."
No one responded.
In the distance, Ruler cracked his neck — bloodied, burned, but smiling. It was a smile that bore no arrogance. Only satisfaction. His wounds disappearing.
And that, more than anything, sent a chill down their spines.
Gojo laid Yuji gently on the ground. "Let him rest."
Rin frowned. "Is he stable?"
Gojo nodded. "Physically. Mentally?" He glanced at Yuji's pale face. "Hard to say. But he'll probably be alright."
Ruler looked down at the boy. For a moment, his expression seemed almost kind.
Then he turned away.
"Next time," he said. "I hope he is even tastier."
And with that, Ruler walked off into the mist, mist curling lazily at his heels.
The clearing was silent, save for the ragged breaths of the unconscious boy and the whisper of leaves overhead.
2018, October 2nd
The scent of parchment and faint ozone filled the study room.
Waver Velvet—Lord El-Melloi II—stood at the front of the low, open space, chalk in hand, diagrams and ancient runes scrawled behind him in a blur of Western magecraft.
Across from him, seated on thin cushions around a tea table stacked with books, were Miwa and Gray. Gray, as ever, wore her cloak, hood resting just off her head, hands folded in her lap with quiet attention. Miwa sat cross-legged, leaning forward, her pen tapping against the page of her notebook. Her brows were furrowed, and a slow frustration had begun to build behind her eyes.
"So," Waver said, turning from the blackboard, gesturing toward the runes. "That concludes the breakdown of elemental alignment within the Western structure of formalcraft. It's slow, inefficient in combat, but more suited for longer lasting rituals or using magical energy outside of your own." He paused, adjusted his coat, then looked at Miwa. "Thoughts?"
Miwa gave a tight smile. "It's a lot more rigid than what I've seen before. The chants and sacrifices are complicated." Her voice lowered as she poked her index fingers together under the table as she fails to meet her teachers eyes. "And I don't really want to sacrifice small animals." She blinked, then tilted her head as she raised her voice. "But I thought Japan had a different system? It has to do with gods, right?"
Waver nodded. "Correct. Japanese magecraft—more properly called Onmyodo or Shugendo, in some cases—is based on an entirely different magical foundation. Eastern sorcery doesn't work the same way. It's less focused on thaumaturgy and more tied to spiritual connections, philosophy magecraft and inherited symbols of authority, typically through divine spirits."
"Sir," Miwa asked, unconsciously copying Gray in her way of address. "I thought you mentioned that there aren't any divine spirits, since we are in the age of man?"
"In most other places in the world, you'd be correct." Waver said, pleased at her question. "There has been a phenomenon that in places generally far removed from human society, or are cut off from the rest of the world, they tend to maintain some semblance of the age of the gods. Ancient monsters, ancient objects with connections to divine spirits or even old magical artifacts. But none more so they the island nation of Japan."
"Why is that?" Miwa asked, with even Gray seemingly curious on the answer.
"It's unknown for certain, but Japan has remained relatively the same as a land closest to the age of the gods for over a thousand years. It has the highest mana density of any country by far, and has its magecraft heavily influenced still by the works of divine spirits. Whether that contributes to the higher density of psychics, sorcerers and cursed spirits is up for debate."
Miwa raised her hand. "So, are we learning Eastern magecraft next?"
Waver shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I've only studied the Western system in any meaningful depth. My magecraft is entirely grounded in that tradition. To even begin understanding Eastern systems, I'd need far more direct access to their teachings." He turned toward the board, tapping the word origin written in chalk. "Your connection to magecraft strengthens the closer you are to its region of origin — both geographically and spiritually."
Miwa nodded, following along easily. "Because of them being engraved into a areas Leylines, right?"
"Indeed." Waver agrees.
Miwa beams.
"There are examples of magi who move countries, and are unable to make a connection with the land. This can even lead to the slow death of your families magical potential in extreme cases." Lord El-Melloi II said, continuing.
Miwa's brow knit slightly, but she nodded, half-understanding.
Gray spoke then, her voice soft. "But the knowledge about it is still useful, isn't it? Even if the style differs."
Waver pointed a his chalk at Gray, nodding in approval. "Knowing how to break down a spell—how to analyze structure and its consequences—will help you no matter where you go."
He glanced between them, then turned a page on his notebook. "Now, about your progress on the practical assignments from last session. Miwa, outside of making it so you can't hear—how did your attempt at enhanced hearing go?"
Miwa straightened, lifting her notes. "I got it to work! It's not completely perfect, though, so I tried remaking it with—"
The door slid open without warning.
"TEACHER!"
The room jolted with sudden noise as Aoi Todo barged in, fists clenched. He pointed at Waver dramatically. "You have yet to answer my question, what is your type!"
Miwa flinched. "Todo?! What are you doing here?!" She looked mortified at her own words, covering her mouth.
Lord El-Melloi II could only stare in complete bafflement at Todo as he continued marching forward.
"I managed to find you, despite all the barriers between us," Todo said, stepping in like a force of nature. He paused, noting Miwa and Gray for the first time. "Ah. My apologies. I didn't know this was a formal lesson."
Waver, pinching the bridge of his nose, sighed. "And yet you entered anyway."
Todo grinned. "Some things are worth fighting for!"
Gray gave a concerned look between Waver and Todo.
Waver looked up at the ceiling for a long moment. "We were discussing their lessons for today, but I suspect that conversation is now on hold."
"Don't stop on my account," Todo said, already sitting cross-legged beside Miwa. "I wish to learn how to make my punches explode with mana. My sworn brother has been too busy with his own lessons lately. I shall reach the same heights!"
Waver blinked. "...That's not quite how it works, but we'll circle back to that."
Miwa gave a tired smile in the direction of Todo. "Lets do our best together."
Gray smiled gently at Miwa. "You must have improved a lot, and Todo must have wanted to learn as well. Sir is quite special like that."
Miwa blinked and was caught staring at the lovely smile under the hood of Gray, then looked away quickly, a faint smile forming.
Todo looked solemnly at Waver. "So El-Melloi II, what is your type?"
"I'm not answering that."
"If you like men, that's fine too."
"I said I'm not answering." Already, Waver almost wished he had Flat here instead. Almost.
2018, October 2nd
The room was dim and quiet, save for the breathing of those inside. Shoko Ieiri sat nearby on a stool, her arms crossed, the cigarette between her fingers long since extinguished. The glow from her reverse cursed technique dimmed, the worst of Yuji's injuries stabilized. His chest rose and fell evenly now, though shallow. The bruises had faded, but the pain remained.
Nanami sat on a chair near the bed, suit jacket folded neatly on his lap, sleeves rolled up to the elbow. His gaze rested on Yuji's face.
"I've got it from here," Shoko murmured without looking up.
"I'm watching over a student," Nanami said simply.
Shoko hummed. She didn't argue further. The silence returned, stretching long between the three of them.
Yuji stirred.
His fingers twitched, curling weakly against the sheets. His breathing caught once, then resumed. His eyes blinked open, slow and unfocused. He squinted at the ceiling.
Then his gaze shifted.
"Nanami…?" His voice was hoarse.
Nanami stood, placing a steadying hand on Yuji's shoulder. "You're awake. Good."
Yuji groaned softly, trying to sit up. Pain flared down his side. Nanami pushed him gently back down.
"Easy," he said. "You're lucky to be alive, if Gojo hadn't pulled you out of there..."
"...I lost," Yuji murmured.
"You did," Nanami replied, calm and even.
Yuji's brows furrowed. "I thought I could—" He shook his head. "No, I didn't think. I wanted to prove something. And now I just—"
"You fought someone far beyond your level. And you survived." Nanami's voice was low, but not unkind. "That is not nothing."
Yuji's jaw tensed. "I kept seeing his memories. I didn't even want to. I didn't understand it. It just… happened."
Shoko's eyes flicked over, watching but saying nothing.
Nanami exhaled slowly through his nose. "You've been carrying too much weight, Itadori."
"I thought I was getting stronger," Yuji said, voice tightening. "That I could help. But it just felt like I was being pulled along by someone else."
A pause.
Then, from within his hand—a cold sensation. "Pathetic," came the voice of Sukuna on his palm, "Crying over strength like this is so pathetic."
Yuji's face went red in anger. His hand clutched at the sheets.
"You flail and scream like a brat, and when you taste power, you recoil as if you didn't crave it. Spare me."
Yuji's head dipped forward. "Shut up," he whispered.
Nanami's gaze sharpened. "Ignore him. There are much better things you can do with your time then listening to him."
Yuji nodded faintly.
Nanami looked at him for a long moment, then sat again.
"I don't believe you lost completely today," he said.
Yuji blinked. "What?"
"You lost. That's true. But not long ago, you wouldn't have even been able to touch someone like that. And yet, you did — more than once. You endured. Sometimes, walking away alive is the only victory that matters. Don't cheapen it by expecting more."
Yuji looked down at his hands, remembering the feel of Ruler's body beneath his fists, the sensation of his Black Flash ringing through his bones. He never did get to hit Rulers smug grin.
Nanami continued, "Progress isn't always clean. It hurts. It marks you sometimes. But you are growing."
Yuji clenched his fists. "Then why do I feel like I failed?"
"Because you care." Nanami's voice was almost soft now. "That's what makes you different. From him. From the world that wants you to become a weapon. Or just a container for something dangerous."
Yuji didn't speak for a while.
Shoko stood, stretching lazily. "He's stable now. I'll return in the morning."
Nanami nodded. "Thank you."
Yuji blinked up at her. "Thanks, Shoko."
She gave a lazy wave as she left. "Next time, try not to get all your bones broken in your spare time."
The door clicked shut behind her.
Nanami leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The silence stretched between them again, more companionable now.
"I can't stop thinking about it," Yuji said at last. "The way he smiled. How much fun he had beating me down."
Nanami nodded slowly.
Yuji turned his head toward him. "Do you think… I'll ever be strong enough to stop people like him?"
Nanami's gaze didn't waver. "That's difficult to answer." He sighed, removing his glasses and wiping them slowly with a cloth. "If I'm being honest, I'd rather you never had to carry something like this in the first place. You're young. You should have the chance to live your life — not spend it bearing the weight of decisions no one your age should have to make." He glanced at Yuji, his tone steady. "But if you have to fight, then fight knowing that surviving… sometimes is the victory."
Yuji looked down, his voice a whisper. "Even with Sukuna inside me?"
Nanami didn't hesitate. "Especially with Sukuna inside you," he said, voice calm but firm. "No one should have to shoulder something like that alone." He adjusted his tie with quiet precision, then looked directly at Yuji. "Let the people around you help. That's not weakness — that's what healthy trust between individuals is."
Yuji didn't answer—but the tightness in his shoulders eased just slightly.
Nanami stood. "Get some rest. You'll need it."
Yuji gave a small nod, eyes fluttering shut again.
As Nanami turned to leave, he paused at the door, glancing back.
"You're allowed to fall, Yuji. Just don't forget we are here to help you get back up."
Then he stepped out into the hallway, leaving Yuji in the quiet of the room. The silence lasts for long enough for Yuji to almost fall asleep before he asks the question out loud that was bugging him.
"Is that even Sukuna...?"
End of Chapter 11:
Man did I struggle with this one. Writing fighting is actually really hard for this for some reason. But regardless, get ready for the great teacher Gojo to fight Ruler in the next chapter. Fingers crossed I can pull it off. Let me know how it went, or if I might the fight a little long. As always, thanks for reading, and criticism is always welcome.
Wizardwolf - Honestly, with what I have, Sukuna has no magical circuits in his original body, but he does have the benefit of using other peoples body currently if it ever comes up, so who knows.