Chapter Text
Nara city was truly beautiful at night time. The cosmos was on full display. Millions of stars filled the night sky, and being at the rooftop of the capital palace made it possible to see it in a new light. Being able to see from horizon to horizon made my mind spin. It was truly magical.
To my satisfaction, Sukuna was joining me in the marveling. His eyes moved from one cluster of stars to another, memorizing their patterns and beauty.
Much to my displeasure, Nara insisted on honoring our heroic saving of their city by throwing us a party in our honor within the palace. It had barely been a whole day since our fight and arriving in the city, but we already wanted to leave.
There was no guarantee that Shirai had recognized me, but it was not a risk I was willing to take, especially given his quick exit. I did not want to stay, but my wounds were severe.
I had an open fracture in my right arm, 3 of my ribs were broken, I was bleeding internally from my stomach, and the burns were severe. Sukuna and the healers did their best, but it was not perfect. I had a large red scar from the tip of my chin and neck down to my midsection. Even with my transformation, it wouldn't change the injury.
It had taken until sundown just to heal my physical wounds, and by that time they had already planned the celebration, Uraume had insisted that it would be rude to turn them down. Afterall it was just one night.
Hoshi was curled around Sukuna's shoulders, their new favorite spot. Despite his vocal distaste for the Shikigami, he did not try to hide the way he let out tiny sprinkles of something akin to happiness when the cat showed him affection.
"Do you know anything about stars?" Sukuna asked, taking the time to pull his attention away from the beauty above him to look at me.
"Not much." I said sheepishly. "Some people think they are millions of miles away, but others think they are right outside of our view of the world, like behind a veil."
"What are they?" Sukuna asked, and he was genuinely curious.
"I don't know that either." I said truthfully. With all of our technology now, it was impossible to discern what exactly the lights represented. Many religions and beliefs were proposed, but I decided to answer with my own interpretation. "I think of it like the ocean."
Sukuna was listening to every word, as if it was law.
"I think the sky is just an endless space, with little imperfections, little bits of beauty here and there." I said, tracing a constellation with my finger. "Just like how the ocean is unknown and terrifying, the night sky gives the same mystery. Are the stars our loved ones souls? Gods watching over us? More beings like the sun? I don't know, but i'd like to think it's just that simple."
"I don't like water." Sukuna said, grimacing at a thought I couldn't see. "If it is like the ocean, I never want to see them up close."
I laughed. His quips were always simple and to the point. It was endearing and a little condescending, but it was perfect. Despite the condescending tone and the lack of enthusiasm, he was always sincere when it came to my thoughts and opinions.
"I think they are holes in the sky." Uraume said, interrupting my thoughts. "Think about it. It looks like how a sheet would look like if you poked a bunch of holes through it and there was light on the other side."
Uraume was standing between us, and their sudden intrusion shook me out of a decidedly dirty thought I was having. I hadn't noticed them sneaking up on us.
"I like that interpretation better." Sukuna said, and he was sincere. But his emotions betrayed the white lie. "Much better than the depressing alternative. Perhaps the light is the afterlife, and it's how we view the world after we're gone before being reincarnated."
I raised an eyebrow, skeptical of this theory.
"I suppose that's possible." I said. I poked Uraume in the side and chuckled at their shock. "Perhaps the people looking at us are tired of us, given the distinct lack of signs from them."
I was skeptical of an afterlife, and shockingly, of religion as well. The thought of a group of all powerful beings judging and creating us felt wrong. I would never judge someone for wanting a better life after this one, hell I wanted an afterlife to exist, but it was not something I personally thought of.
"I like to think there's something after this." Sukuna said, a hint of genuine sadness was present. "The thought of being nothing after dying is not an interpretation I like."
"Of course." I said, smiling warmly at the sentiment. He was getting better at talking to us, and being genuine. "I think so too."
"- Thank you once again, our heroes!" The lord had stopped talking. He had talked nonstop for 45 minutes, mostly about himself and the city, only getting to the pinnacle and the reason this party was being held at the very end.
I had tuned out for the majority of the speech, but the sudden applause brought me back to life. I looked back at the man, and he was gesturing for me to approach. Oh god, not speaking to all of these people.
I looked at Sukuna, and snorted at him. He was fully standing, but his head was bent to one side. A faint hint of drool was threatening to spill.
I nudged him with an arm and marveled at the sudden shake that brought him out of unconsciousness. He looked toward the stage before us and back at me. I sent him a thought telepathically and made a face to emphasize my point.
"Let's go." I thought, ready to drag him out by force if I had to. "I am not being forced to speak in front of them."
Sukuna's mouth raised in a devious smile and his eyebrows shot up and down in a suggestive way.
"You kicked me out of a nice dream." He thought. I knew what his intentions were, but I let him, of course. I was not caught off guard. "I think you'll enjoy it."
He picked me up by my waist in two arms, and wrapped his other two around my arms, keeping me from leaving his grasp. He began walking to the stage with me in tow. The lord was momentarily stunned at Sukuna's intrusion. The lord certainly hadn't wanted him, but they would get him. He plopped me down on the stage, and stepped up next to me. Uraume was behind us, but not on the stage. No doubt thankful Sukuna hadn't dragged them up as well.
"You big dumbass." I thought, emphasizing the thought by focusing on the size. "You'll have to speak too."
"They don't want me to speak." He thought, nodding his head in emphasis. "They don't like me."
And I saw it was true. Everyone's feelings were distrust for Sukuna. I felt sad for a moment, before Sukuna read my thought and quickly sent another one.
"Because of my rudeness." He thought, not as quick to cover up his true beliefs. "If you think your speaking is bad, you should see mine."
Damn it, it felt like guilt tripping even though it wasn't.
"Fine. But you need to say something." I thought, "You're not out of this one."
The speech was a disaster. I tried humbly accepting their praise and cheers, but I felt like everything I said was a huge mistake. I stumbled through some of the brief facts I knew about the city, much to people's thoughts that couldn't hide the cringing when getting a single fact wrong. I spoke of all of our heroic feats when defeating the spirit, as that seemed to get them excited. At the end, I finally gave control to Sukuna, allowing him to close out my speech.
"I'm sorry I destroyed part of the palace." He said, the thought was sincere at first, but knowing him, it would not stay that way. "I got to say, it made the old castle look much more fashionable."
The audience laughed awkwardly at that, no doubt not wanting to provoke him. The attack hadn't killed anyone thankfully and incredibly, but it was still a massive waste to the palace. It would take years to repair.
"Thank you!" The lord said, pushing himself between us. "Let's enjoy some more food and music!"
The band consisted of a Ryūteki, Gakusō, Kakko, and sho player. The Gagaku they played was inspirational. Fingers moved in beautiful patterns, each instrument showing off their abilities to great affect. At first, the music was up beat and fun, causing the partygoers to dance around spiritfully.
None of us wanted to be apart of it. We stood back respectfully, and watched in fascination, at these people's joy.
"I never got the point of dance." Uraume said, crossing their arms. "It's such a strange art form. They're just waving around their arms and gyrating, it's so weird."
Something about that sentiment sounded very specific, but I didn't judge. I was inclined to agree, and Sukuna grunted in affirmation. Just then, the song ended, and became a slow song.
"Now what's happening?" Sukuna asked, "They're all in pairs."
"This is a formal activity." I said, "They find it entertaining."
"The rich aristocrats?" Uraume asked, laughing at their own joke. "'As if they couldn't get any weirder."
"Well, I think it's a universal art." I said, giving a devilish grin of my own. "I think every level of society enjoys this ritual."
Sukuna raised an eyebrow, suspicious of where I was going with this.
"Did I ever tell you guys that I had to learn formal dancing?" I asked, it was a rhetorical question.
"No?" Sukuna asked, confused
"I think you'd enjoy this." I thought, and I grabbed Sukuna's arm. Being unused to this, he simply let me lead him further into the crowd. The people had to part ways for us, but they all recognized us. Sukuna's eyes grew wide in horror when he finally realized. The attention was on us, and they wouldn't let us go. The band had stopped, but they were starting back up again from the beginning.
"You little-" He thought, making a face. "I'm going to kill all of these people merely from my horrid movement alone."
I smiled again, putting both hands on his thighs, which I had to reach up high for. The touch made him stiffen up, and not move.
"I'll show you."
Sukuna sighed audibly and bent down slightly, to touch his bottom two hands on my shoulders, while keeping the top pair at his side.
It was a disaster at first. Sukuna ran feet first into so many people, but did not cause any untimely deaths. After suffering through the first act, trying and failing to find a good balance on this man. After some time finally, he was running into less and less people. He changed it up, and initiated movement, even giving me some twirls, it was magical, and he was enjoying it at least somewhat.
I leaned forward, and rested the side of my head on his abdomen, becoming excited when his muscles moved against it in a quick stiffening. After less than a second, and he relaxed. He was much more comfortable with me. His grip on me tightened lovingly, and we continued the dance.
After the music ended, we made our way back to Uraume, who was beside themself laughing.
"I never thought you had it in you!" They said, poking Sukuna in the abdomen. "You were incredible." Their sarcasm was obvious, but there was some sincerity to it.
Sukuna didn't say anything, and my hand was still around his waist, while one of his rubbed the back of my head in slow circles. Uraume smiled again and nodded their head in a direction.
"I'm going to get some more food." They said, salivating at the thought. "The mochi is divine."
I nodded, and off they went. We stood for a minute before I said something.
"I'm going to get something too, do you want anything?" I asked Sukuna, he didn't have much to eat today.
"I'm fine." He said back, removing the hand from my head. He would let me go by myself of course. I walked towards the tables of food and picked out a delectable Himono made of fish and vegetables served on rice with vinegar and other spices. I turned around to find Sukuna, only to find myself face to face with a stranger. I read their thoughts.
Lust, and desire were very prominent. I froze at the reminder of my past and couldn't do anything at first. The trauma was still prevalent. He noticed my reaction and smiled, no doubt thinking it would work, I was still a woman.
"My lady, you are fantastic." The man said, in a bold faced lie. He was playing up the formalities. "I would like to invite you into our city. A member of the lord's inner circle. You are too good for these nobodies you surround yourself with."
I couldn't speak. My mouth was slightly open, which he took as a sign to continue.
"I would like to get to know you better. My father said you were a perfect match for me."
I recognized him finally. He was the son of the lord, this was planned. He went to grab my hand, but my brain was awake again, and I quickly knocked the hand away. He frowned at this display and looked disappointed.
"Jeez, what a killjoy." He said, fully prepared to get physical it seemed.
Just then a hand was blocking my vision, and a beautiful shape took place beside me.
"Get the hell away from her." Sukuna said, possessiveness flowing through the words. It was the hottest thing i'd ever heard. It made everything inside me explode with lust, I needed him now, and the same emotion radiated off of Sukuna.
The man backed away, terrified at Sukuna's rage, and blended back in with the crowd. We both looked at each other in anticipation, and didn't think anything else of it. Sukuna pulled me up with two hands and carried me into the exit from the courtyard, bridal style.
As soon as we were in the shadowy hallway with not a soul in sight, he assaulted my lips with kisses. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stuck my tongue around his mouth, prodding at every tooth, fold, and muscle. Gods, even his mouth felt like the rest of his body, powerful and protective. Two hands groped at my breasts, causing me to thrust in waves. I grasped his hair and pulled, hard enough to hurt. He paused and was in my neck. Every lick, kiss, and bite was personal. I reached down and grabbed his cock. It was as hard as a rock.
He continued to lead me down the hallway, determined to find a suitable location devoid of people. After checking many rooms, growing so desperate, that he almost went to town right there, he finally found the perfect spot. The bed was huge, thank god. It was fancy and western style. Sukuna set me against the backboard and wrapped my legs just below his shoulders, kneeling down.
His hands removed my clothing, sloppily and definitely ripping a few pieces, but it didn't matter. His face assaulted every inch of me. I wrapped my arms around his back, and assaulted his head, neck, and upper back. His tongue licked my nipples, and they grew rock hard. I nearly fainted from the feeling, and he took that as a sign.
He put two hands on my shoulders and pulled me up. My head was against a pillow, and he kneeled over me, ready to do whatever he wanted. I was at his mercy, and that felt so good. He pulled at his clothes, desperate to get them off, and ripped his own. He put two hands over my chest and he assaulted them once again. Finally, something changed. A particularly rough push into my sternum, I winced. The pain from the spirit was back.
Sukuna stopped immediately and pulled away, concerned again.
"I'm sorry." He said genuinely. "Do you want to stop?"
I thought for less than a second and decided in a moment.
"No damn way." I said, and I focused some cursed energy into my strength. Sukuna stopped tensing so much, and let me win. I flipped him over.
I rode him like a horse, a tiny rider atop her mighty steed. I forced two legs between his and placed my cunt at the base of his cock. He anticipated the feeling before, but I had another idea. His stomach mouth was open, and I let his tongue lick my pubic hair and abdomen. I smiled and looked at him, desire taking over.
"Do you want to see what I taste like?" I thought, completely overtaken by lust.
Every emotion he exuded turned excited at this prospect. He nodded, almost vigorously, and I climbed higher. I positioned myself right before the mouth and reveled in his anticipation turned annoyance. The tongue lolled up and tried to reach it, but he couldn't.
"Let me sit there first." I thought, and I knew this pleased him. His teeth closed around his tongue and waited. I scooted the rest of the way and sat right between the lips of his mouth. He didn't need anymore asking. The tongue poked through his teeth and hit my clit on the first try. I exploded in pleasure and thrusted against his body. My legs slid down further, and I rested my body further against his, staring at his eyes.
His tongue assaulted my clit, causing the cum to flow freely, coating his taste buds, and making Sukuna moan. He definitely had taste buds down there. His tongue found the entrance finally, and he destroyed my vagina. He ran across the folds, up and down, side to side, and used his lip to quiver and hit my clit more. I thrusted against him, every thrust made a new noise from his mouth. I grabbed his face and let out one last glorious gush of fluid. That was the last part he needed to finish. Cum went flying, a bit of backlash hit my back, but I welcomed the warm and sticky sensation.
Sukuna moaned in pleasure, and met my eyes with pure lust.
"Do you want to keep going?" He asked, and I was desperate. This could be the greatest day of all time. I nodded vigorously, and Sukuna complied. His cursed energy focused into a single point, and his cock was quivering. It was getting hard again. I slid down, and right into the perfect spot. His cock was at full attention, and it nearly reached my cervix. I grabbed at his chest, and pulled, the pleasure was so instant. I thrust against him slowly, and he helped me, wrapping arms around my chest. I wanted to keep this going forever, and it was almost capable, if not for the responsibilities. I kept at him, tracing over every muscle with my hands and gripping hard at particularly pleasurable points.
After a long time, he finally finished inside of me, and it felt so fucking good. He pulled out and sat next to me this time, pulling me into his arms and dwarfing me. His cock was against my leg, and Sukuna shook in anticipation.
I wanted it so bad, and he sighed, looking at me with the same eyes he was using before. If there is an afterlife, I hope it is something like this at every moment, and we continued.
Sukuna grabbed me gently to wake me up. At some point we had either been too exhausted of cursed energy, or too tired to continue. Sukuna assaulted my hair and loved me at my freezing. I grabbed a fistful of hair and ran my hands through it.
I didn't want it to end, but we didn't tell Uraume where we were. We made our way through the palace and found them having a pleasant conversation with the higher ups around the city. Uraume brightened at our intrusion and gave us a knowing smile.
"They are finally awake." Uraume said, getting everyone's attention. "Everyone congratulate them on their arrival!"
So Uraume had their own grudges. The attempt to embarrass us was effective.
It was never a good idea to stay there as long as we did. Nara was too dangerous now, given the possibility of my family paying us a visit. I did not want to jinx it. We left the city that very day and made our way south, which felt like the right thing to do. There was no rhyme or reason to anything we did. We travelled south because it was a strategic move. We'd never been there, or near it. It was away from the major clan's headquarters. It seemed perfect.
The city of Yamato was a seaside town, near the ocean. Unfortunately for us, it was the perfect area for an ambush. My clan's headquarters were not far from the seaside port that we landed on. The ocean connected to a rapid that would lead back to the clan's quarters. It would not make sense to travel to any major city by that route, which is why we didn't expect it. This was an ambush they had planned.
"Don't move."
The Nakamura clan had turned the poor Yamato town hostage, forcing them to provide them with shelter and food while they took on another smaller clan in a proxy war. They took any newcomers hostage to be used for the same purpose. Due to very unfortunate timing, the only people within the city from my clan were the two that wanted me the most.
They had welcomed us friendly enough, sorcerers were rare in these parts. After gaining our trust, they led us into a trap, and we were face to face with the worst people from my past. One of the Nakamura's sacred techniques was a cursed speech. A person could command others to act based on what they say, it was able to be controlled, and made for fantastic betrayals over the years. Now he just did it as a reminder. That I should still be afraid. My father is a cunning man.
"Lady Hirai." Shirai said, "You grew nothing but more beautiful in our time apart."
I gagged at the thought, absolutely vile. Nothing would ever make me do whatever he was imagining.
"You have a death wish, brat." Sukuna roared, everything becoming much too personal.
"My daughter." Father said, "Come home." He was incapable of hiding his true feelings for me. I ruined his life, and I was proud of that. For his reputation, he could get back in contact with the Sugawara who had ended their treaty. My father wanted to kill me, but it was much more strategic to leave me alive and revel in my fate.
"Fuck you." I said, spitting into his face. The spit hit my father, and he frowned deeply at that. He grabbed his sword and pulled it out. Completely capable of committing murder on his own daughter. It didn't surprise me. Uraume was right behind them and caught them off guard.
"Ice Formation: Ice Fall." They said, and a flurry of icicles hurled towards their opponent. In a moment, Shirai was up, and performing his technique.
"Gravity." And Uraume stumbled, but did not fall. They kept going, and hit Shirai with as much force as they could muster. I was proud of them. Father's technique had faltered for a second, and I was no longer affected by it, but Sukuna was. Father was keeping his worst nightmare stopped for now. Sukuna was much stronger than me obviously, if he let Sukuna go, he would kill them in a second.
Cursed speech was only active to the general vicinity of people around the user, so he would need to be in my line of sight to cast something on me. I made sure to stay outside of his vision. I grabbed slaughter demon out of my holster, and clashed it against my father's short handled katana.
We went back and forth for some time. I got in a couple of good hits, but so did father. As the head of the clan, it was imperative that he have a very powerful technique, and his expertise showed in every clash. He was much better at fighting, even with my six eyes it was hard to track him. He was also extremely fast for his age.
A swipe came in an arc intending to cut me from shoulder to hip, but I stopped it with a block from my own weapon an inch where it would have hit. I grabbed at his face, intending to stop him in his tracks, but he was gone by the time I reached for him. I continued moving, trying to get out of his line of sight. I tracked every movement, every turn, every fake out and made calculated guesses on what he would do next, and made an executive decision. He wanted me alive, so it was a gamble, but I hoped it would work out.
I deliberately let a weaker attack get through my defenses. The sword sliced a small cut into my side, but it was not serious. I put my hand on his form as it passed and called upon a technique. He stopped in place, seemingly affected slightly by the whiplash, and levitating an inch above the ground. He was momentarily stunned, so I called on a more known ability. I placed both hands around his neck, cutting off his words and pulled at his cursed energy, intending to suck him dry of his power.
I held on and squeezed, trying to stop him from speaking, but he was strong. I had barely enough time to begin siphoning his cursed energy when his raw strength overpowered me, and he broke free of my grasp just enough.
"Blast Away!" He yelled, and the sight of him disappeared in a cloud of dust and rock. I was thrown back such a distance that I smashed through a few trees and a house before coming to a still. The side effect of cursed speech was prominent in his strides. He grabbed his neck in pain, not from how hard I squeezed, but the side affect of his technique.
My back was killing me, but I wasn't done yet. I stumbled, and fell to my knees. Those words were a death sentence to almost all who heard it, but I was built different from the other sorcerers who dared to challenge him. I saw something akin to pride when I came to my feet, but it was quickly replaced with annoyance at my persistence.
"You belong at your home." He said, trying to come off as genuine, but failing miserably. "These two are not your family."
"Fuck you." I said again, spitting out a little bit of blood. "They've shown me that I'm worth more than just my technique and the destiny you decided for me. I make my own decisions now."
Father frowned deeply at that, disgusted at the thought, when he finally put two and two together.
"How dare you share a bed with that monster." He spat, disgusted. "You have brought shame upon me, and everyone in the clan with this. You could have lived a life of luxury with the Sugawara."
"Kiyabu raped me in my own house, and you still believe that?" I asked. He was serious, I couldn't believe it. All of these years and he never regretted deciding to let me go back to that demon after it happened. "I chose living and life over whatever torture they had planned next."
"The Fujiwara's bastard child is any better? With a technique that butchers any who stand in his way?" He asked, genuinely thinking he caught me in a confession.
"He is not whatever you think he is." I said, spitting pure vitriol now, he would not treat Sukuna like this. "He's much more human than the rest of your sorry excuse for a clan. You just choose to see what you want to further your agenda."
"You will take your place, and do what you were meant to do, or I will kill the brat." Father said.
"You know you can't kill him." I said, laughing at the bold claim. "He'll cut you into pieces before you can take one step towards him."
"That's where you're wrong." He said, and I didn't realize his plan until the last second. He punctured my shoulder with his sword too fast for me to react and pinned my body to the tree. I let out a quick yelp of pain, before turning to see his back. He had deliberately saved enough power to perform the greatest feat his technique possessed. It could destroy someone's throat permanently, but it was one of the most effective parts of the technique, with very high success rate.
In an act of desperation, I ignored the pain in my shoulder, and reached forward just enough. I grabbed his arm just in time, and pulled with everything within me. Something snapped again in my technique, but only a little. I pulled droves of his cursed energy out, but it was too late.
"Die." He said directly in Sukuna's direction.
I braced for something, anything to happen, but it didn't, not even destroying his throat. Father was momentarily stunned at this revelation, before I grabbed his head. I threw myself forward enough to lodge the sword from my shoulder and grapple onto his back.
I put both hands onto his head and called upon a technique. Electricity flew through my fingers and directly into fathers brain. He locked up in a moment, stunned and broken, but he still had some strength. He reached up to deal a decisive blow to my head, but I upped the power, and he froze for a moment longer. I poured so much power into the technique that my cursed energy was draining exponentially. I couldn't stop it even if I wanted to. I couldn't control it in that moment, everything that drove me was a mad desire to see him torn down from his pedestal.
One last surge of energy flowed through his head, and it exploded from the front. Both of his eyes popped from his head like grapes, while his tongue and teeth flew out of his mouth at a speed that almost hit Sukuna. His body slumped to the ground, and I climbed off of him. Sukuna was out of his technique, but he was looking stunned and horrified, he didn't move. I walked over to him and lightly patted his chest with a hand, trying to get him out of the trance. He seemed taken out of it and looked at me with many mixed emotions, concern for my mental health and my injuries, but also a hint of pleasure watching me kill him.
Sukuna reached out a hand to help heal my superficial wounds, but I waved him away.
"Uraume." I said plainly. "They come first."
Sukuna simply nodded and followed me into the city, where the sounds of a battle were still prevalent. We walked past many people in shock and horror, but paid them no mind. They were simply forced to do this. They were not the problem.
Uraume had a sword made of ice that they were trying to slice Shirai with, who was nimbly dodging every attack they made. Sukuna walked forward a bit to stop this fight, but I stopped him with a hand. Uraume could handle this themselves. We would only intervene if they couldn't, but I had every faith they could.
Sukuna coughed in Shirai's direction, and it threw him for a loop. He was so momentarily stunned that Uraume was finally able to land a fatal blow. Uraume sliced at his head, but he dodged, and it only sliced the base of his forehead. Reading his intention, Uraume took the sword and ran it through his midsection, finally putting an end to this useless fighting. Shirai slumped over onto their sword and coughed blood, not dying quite yet.
"Damn you, you demons." He said, spitting the words into our faces. He was trying to curse us in his last moments. "This will never end."
Uraume stopped whatever he would say next with a hand to his head. They called upon another technique and froze his head solid, stopping the words from continuing, he died in agony.
Hoshi came out of their hiding place with fur standing on end, and hissed at the man. Even Shikigami knew the workings of a curse. If a sorcerer decided to leave their killers with final words, it was historical fact that the offended party was more likely than not, cursed to whatever they said.
Uraume was not hurt horribly, a few bruises and a few slashes from Shirai's cursed tool, nothing that couldn't be healed. After a brief period of Sukuna healing us both, we left. The townspeople did not want anything to do with us, and neither did we. It was only when we left the town that the consequences of what we did hit all at once.
The Nakamura were not just like the Fujiwara. This would have real consequences. My breathing picked up like in Tengen's compound, and Sukuna stopped walking immediately. He gently grabbed my arm and eased me to the ground, forcing Uraume to take a similar spot. Panic was rising again, but Sukuna let me take all the time I needed to form a coherent sentence.
"I can't keep doing this." I said, facing the ground. "We can't keep running away and getting into these life or death situations."
Sukuna was listening intently, but I couldn't read his emotions well.
"If we keep doing this, it'll end in death for us or for them." I said, trying to emphasize the panic in my mind. "I don't want to risk the former. I killed my father. I'm just as bad as them now, and they will not stop until I am with them."
"What do you want to do?" Sukuna asked, placing a hand on my leg.
"Can't we just live a normal life?" I asked, trying to put sincerity into my voice. "We can run away from these people and try to live a life free of clans and responsibility."
"What about our mission, and killing cursed spirits running rampant through Japan?" Uraume asked, reminding me of our responsibilities. Sukuna was also giving off the same sentiment.
"We don't need to bring down the system through force." I said, and I meant it. "We could still strive to better people's lives and bring down the system. I think we could work on it without violence, just the act of defiance is enough to shake the foundations."
Sukuna was skeptical, but he nodded in a sign of agreement. He would need time, but if it kept me from going into full panic, he would entertain the idea for now. It was decided, and we were getting as far away from the clans as possible.
For the next few months, we moved north, and made our way into the region of Saitama. It was a full of towns and even a few cities. It was quickly becoming a hub for travelers, and suggested the next great city might be built in the area. We stopped for the night in a sizable town, and were tasked with dealing with a few grade 2 curses that were terrorizing the poor town.
A shot of fire blasted apart the curse, and it finally died. I grabbed a piece of its flesh and swallowed it. Before I could properly react to anything, I was throwing up. I fell to my knees and heaved up the dinner we had just eaten. Sukuna was concerned, and held my back protectively. I continued this sickness for a minute and only stopped after there was nothing left.
A doctor had been watching us fight, and was concerned.
"Will you come with me?" He asked, and Sukuna almost scared the man to death with the face he made. Sukuna could heal many physical wounds, but sickness was not one of them. Whenever this happened, he was nothing more than a comforting hand, and this had been happening for a minute before this time. It would help to get some kind of medicine to hopefully rid my body of the disease.
"Alright." I said, and I gave Sukuna a look. He was always salty that he couldn't help me, but I needed closure on my health.
We followed the doctor to his clinic and I took a seat in his office, while Sukuna waited outside, due to my insistence.
"How long has this been going on?" The doctor asked, touching my belly and feeling for tenderness or stiffness.
"A week or two, I think." I said back, wincing when he poked a sensitive spot.
"I'd like to do a few tests, is that ok?" He asked, and I concurred.
"How did it go?" Sukuna asked when I walked out of the door. "Did he give you something for it?"
"No." I said plainly, I didn't know where to start.
"Then what the hell does he want you to do about it?" Sukuna asked, frustrated. He hated seeing me in pain.
"He said I should stop training so hard for a while." I said, looking at the ground, embarrased.
"What?" Sukuna was confused, what did that have to do with it? "For how long?"
"About eight months." I said, finally looking at him in the eyes. One hand was on my belly, and he finally noticed it.
He stood stunned for a moment, processing my words slowly. I blushed at his emotions running rampant, it was like looking at my own episodes of panic but from the other side.
"You're-" He started, he didn't want to say it, but to hear it from me.
I nodded, and froze up. Sukuna grabbed me by my sides and lifted me up, holding me against his body, and he actually spun me around. I laughed in pure bliss at his reaction and rested my head against his chest. He buried his head into mine and kissed every inch of it. Happiness radiated off of him like a fountain. He placed a hand on my belly. Whether he expected to feel anything I didn't know, but he was still eccstatic.
"I'm-" He started, not finishing the sentence.
"Yes!" I shouted laughing at his change in attitude from the normal.
"A father." He ended, and it was everything he ever wanted.
A familiar signature entered through Kyoto's barrier. I smiled at the implication and waited. A few hours passed before he made himself known. A man strode through the gates, uninterrupted and like he owned it.
I met him at the pathway to the main hall and ran into his arms. His face was different from the last time I saw him. He wrapped two arms around me, one at my chest and the other at my lower back. Want and lust radiated off of him as much as my own.
He was younger, and more spry, full of cursed energy and power. I was slightly taller than him, so I pulled away first and assaulted his lips with my own. He reciprocated lovingly, and I wanted to take him right here. It had been so long, and after everything that had happened, him returning was a welcome distraction.
"You're a lot more handsome than last time." I said, running a hand across his mouth. He looked at me with pure love. "Are you here to stay?"
"For now." He said, and I believed him. My body burst in pleasure, it was all I ever wanted. "A decade or so."
I smiled and ran a few fingers across his forehead. The stitches were fresh.