Sukuna arrived in the village on a Tuesday, backpack heavy on his back, containing all his possessions. No heads turned his way as he headed for the sole inn in the village. He told no one his name as he booked a room for a night, before he reconsidered and changed it for two. The pink sky on his way had hinted at cold weather the next morning, and he did not want to risk being stranded in the village without a room if it got too cold to leave tomorrow day.

It was still autumn, but the weather tended to change very quickly, especially in this part of the country. Sukuna was used to taking risks, but he wasn't keen on making suicidal choices either.

He dropped his kit on the flooring as soon as he closed the door to his room, dust rising from the ground at the impact. He was unsurprised to find that he'd been relegated to the garret room. People often did not like the look of him and it led to this, amongst other things. This was the least annoying part of being disfigured, though. At least he'd been given a room.

There was a wooden desk in a corner of the room, and Sukuna opted to sit on the chair by it, knowing the bed would likely be uncomfortable, and wanting to limit to minimum the amount of time spent on the no-doubt stiff mattress.

He set down his leaf hat on the desk and slowly sat down on the chair, testing its resistance. Since he didn't fall on his ass at the first move, he allowed himself to relax. He dragged his bag on the ground, pulling out his hyoutan carved in a gourd. He finished its content, and made a note to fill it up in the river nearby before the day would end.

He thought about taking out a map and his quill and ink from his bag, but decided against it. He was too tired to write anything down.

He turned towards the only window in the room, which would have been hard to reach had Sukuna not been this tall.

He walked to it, looking outside to note that the sun wasn't far from setting. He looked back at the desk and his hyoutan, and decided he'd go and fill it up, so he could have another glance at the village.

He grabbed the gourd, deciding against his backpack with the exception of a notebook, which he slipped inside his haori. He locked the door behind himself, and walked back to the reception. He saw no other patrons on his way.

There was no one at the front desk, and he slipped outside without a sound. The streets weren't exactly empty: a few old people wandering here and there, one couple near a tree, and that was it.

It was a small village, Sukuna was aware of it, and he hadn't imagined it any differently. He wandered into the streets, looking for the river, but using it as an excuse to watch his surroundings.

The houses were built close to each other,  in straight lines, some even touching at times. Some, the wealthier, had a half-timbering frontage, like the inn.

Sukuna quickly noticed the town hall, at the centre of the village and near the church, the biggest building around. There was a small square in front of it, and even a pub across from it. Sukuna did not visit it, not in the mood to encounter drunkards. He could already feel his muscles protesting at each step he took, exhausted after a day's walk.

Plus, the streets were getting darker, and he didn't want to linger too much. He followed the sound of the flowing water, finally stumbling on the river he'd crossed on the bridge on his way.

He walked to the bridge, leaning over the wooden wall to peer at the waters, to find any staircase that could lead to the bank. He spotted one on the other side of the bridge, hidden by the wall on the left side. He took the stairs, reaching the riverbank.

The grass was a deep green, feeding off the constant flowing water available and ready to be absorbed.

Sukuna crouched, dipping his hyoutan in the water. He pulled it out, shaking the water before he dumped it back inside the river. He repeated the action a second time, before finally aiming to fill the gourd.

Absorbed in his task, he was taken out of his reverie by a splashing sound. He wiped his head up, looking for the culprit who'd no doubt thrown something into the water.

But there was no figure there, and the water was clear as day and unmoving. Sukuna frowned. He kept looking around as he filled his hyoutan, and even when he stood up. Weird, he thought, storing the event in the back of his mind.

He took a gulp of his gourd, wiping his mouth with his upper right arm, and shut the bottle. Looking around one last time, he decided to head back to the inn. He'd seen enough of the village, and he'd collected fresh water.

He headed to the staircase and climbed up the stairs before a chilling gust of wind went through him, coming from the top of the stairs. Sukuna's steps faltered as he looked behind himself, wondering if he could catch sight of it blowing on the surface.

At that moment, Moonbeams filtered through a cloud, and the reflection graced the surface of the water. It appeared frozen under Sukuna's gaze. Sukuna paused, astounded, eyes widening.

He hesitated to walk down the stairs, but decided against it. Already, the water was back to normal, gently lulling to the soft wind. Nothing like what Sukuna had felt chilling his bones seconds before.

He looked down at the water for a few more seconds before he moved.

He did not speed his steps as he crossed back the bridge and walked through the same streets as before. Whatever had been at the river had remained there, Sukuna was sure of it.

He thought about what it could be, before he shook his head. He was too tired for this.

He quickly spotted the inn across the street, and reached it in quick strides. The streets were deserted now, and it did not go unnoticed to Sukuna. Finally, he entered the inn. The old owner called to him as he walked through the front door of the inn. 'Diner is served, young man,' she said, as if berating him for missing a serving time he had not been aware of.

He thought about the hot bath he'd been longing for, but resigned himself to eating right now. At least he would then be able to rest and quickly go to sleep afterwards.

He followed the old lady to the dining room, where no one remained. He sat down and ate in silence, glad he'd lingered too long outside and was now able to eat alone.

The bath was empty, too, when he finally dipped his toes to test the water, sighing in contentment as he slipped fully inside the hot water. He let his shoulders drop, resting his head against the tepid stones surrounding the onsen. It was the first time in the day that he could let his muscles rest, and he took full advantage of it.

Sukuna closed his eyes, letting himself rest for a few minutes as hot water made his thoughts vanish.

Sukuna was roused from sleep a little later than his usual time, his futon too comfortable to push him out of bed like it often happened in other inns.

He didn't say a word as he got dressed, simply hoping that they were still serving breakfast.

He made his way down the stairs leisurely, knowing that he'd booked for the coming night too, and that it gave him two full days to explore the surrounding area. It would be quite enough for him to get an idea on whether or not this was the place.

He almost got run into by a man hurriedly leaving the inn. Sukuna barely avoided him, still groggy from sleep. Since he'd slept well, and was still feeling content with sleep, he didn't feel like causing a stir right now.

He reached the diner room, empty just like he'd seen it last night, and took a different seat, at a table in the middle of the room.

The old lady had seen him coming down, it seemed, because she quickly appeared with a tray. Sukuna expected her to berate him for being late to the serving time, but she spoke instead. 'You had a good calling, dear,' she said as she set down his plates on the table. 'Travellers flocked to the inn asking for a room, but I did not offer yours. I deduced you'd want to keep it.'

Sukuna frowned. 'What are you going on about, old lady?' he asked.

The woman set down the last plate on the table before she took the tray off the table. 'Have you not seen the snow?' she asked, looking at Sukuna's face.

Sukuna frowned. 'No?'

The old lady shook her head. 'You should go and see it, then, son. You'd be surprised.' And with that, she left the room.

Sukuna was curious, but he was also hungry. He decided that whatever was outside could wait for after he'd finished his breakfast.

He ate in silence, now noticing the voices coming from the entrance of the inn, and outside. He was even more surprised to have slept so soundlessly with all the ruckus he now heard.

He finished his meal and collected the plates with his four hands, carrying them back to the entrance.

The old lady frowned as she saw him arrive. 'You should have left it on the table, young man,' she insisted.

Sukuna ignored her, depositing the plates on the counter.

The old lady clicked her tongue but took the plates anyway, slipping behind the curtains behind her to put them somewhere else.

The inn's door slipped open and the cold air coming in chilled Sukuna to the bone. He only saw white outside before the door was closed and a stranger walked in. He nodded to Sukuna, who did not answer it.

Sukuna decided that he'd better wrap up warm if he wanted to go outside, and headed back to his room. As he climbed the stairs, he heard a newcomer ask for a room for the night, which the old lady declined, having already booked all of hers.

Once in his room, Sukuna slipped on multiple layers of clothes, and wrapped a headscarf the colour of his hair around his head. He didn't aim for a discreet look this morning, but would certainly need to wear his camouflage clothes if he intended to search around more precisely.

Finally, he was ready to go out. He retraced his steps and stepped outside.

His boots sank into the snow as he took a few steps, looking around.

He had arrived under the snow the previous day, as it had been falling steadily, and created a thin coat of snow on the ground. This looked nothing like it, now. There was at least 50 centimetres of snow on the ground, if not more. The next village was  more than 20 kilometres from here. Sukuna understood why people had flocked to the inn, desperate to find shelter.

It was impossible to walk the distance in the daylight, and Sukuna couldn't imagine what it'd be once night fell. As it was, it seemed that Sukuna was stranded until further notice.

At least he had a booked bedroom at the inn, he thought.

He took a look at the snow-covered expanse, pondering. He thought back to the previous night, to the gust of wind and the sight of the frozen river. Had it been an omen of some sort, or a warning, even?

Maybe it had been, maybe he'd been warned, indeed, if it could be considered as such. Well, it didn't mean that he could have done anything to prevent this, but still.

Sukuna took another step, deciding that he'd take a look at the state of the village now that he was out.

The snow was so high even he struggled to walk. This was such an odd phenomenon, for a blizzard of such importance to happen overnight, and under everyone's noses. It was odd, almost unnatural, even.

Sukuna closed his eyes for a second. He didn't want to get his hopes up too soon, but for the first time ever since he'd started his journey, he let himself think he was on the right track.

Sukuna came back to the inn on time for lunch this time, much to the owner's pleasure. He ate in a room full of guests to the sound of entering travellers seeking shelter after having been surprised by the sudden weather.

Sukuna walked back to his room to change and dress properly for a longer walk, and headed back out. The sun would be setting early tonight, he could feel it, and he didn't know the surroundings well enough to be comfortable if he ended up in the forest in the middle of the night.

It seemed less cold when he stepped outside, but it was likely caused by the warmer clothes he'd put on, and the presence of the sun warming up the air. It did not seem to make the snow melt, though, the temperatures still being too low.

Sukuna started by estimating the number of villagers by using the houses. He guessed around sixty, without considering the stranded travellers.

The houses on the village square formed a ring, circling the plaza. Those were adjoining houses, giving a feeling of imprisonment once you stepped foot in the square.

The houses in the rest of the village were quite close to one another as well, but nothing like those encircling the square.

The town looked just like ones Sukuna had crossed before, with people glaring at newcomers and remaining mostly silent. It was hard to imagine what life could look like for those who never went away to explore the country. Sukuna wondered if solidarity amongst inhabitants even existed in these villages cut off from the rest of the world. He'd never seen it himself, anyway.

He usually did not bother taking the time to explore the village he briefly resided in, but he felt compelled to do so for this one, for some reason.

It was his first time getting stranded in a village after all, and it made him want to do things he'd never done before.

He visited the butcher's shop, buying a few pieces of meat to cook in the forest during his next expedition, then went to the tailors' to see what she was selling. He found nothing compelling there, but at least it gave him a better view of the offers in the village, what he could buy, and what he would have to make himself.

He went into the forest in the afternoon, after having packed his bag properly. He informed the old lady of his intention to go for a walk, and that he'd be back for the night so that she shouldn't try to give his room to someone else. She'd booked his room for one more night without asking him, but better safe than sorry. Sukuna had no intention of sleeping outside tonight. He was used to sleeping under the stars, but with such weather conditions he doubted even he could spend one night outside safely.

He met few people outside, and saw no one else heading towards the forest. He was content not to be seen leaving the village either.

It was better to avoid suspicion in such places, and going inside a forest for hours alone was the best way to get noticed and accused of who knows what, should anything happen.

Sukuna was a hunter. It was a respected profession in the country, but such respect was not given back to him. His facial scar did that, it seemed. His arms too, though he'd learn to conceal them. His tattoos surely hadn't made things easier either, but Sukuna did not mind. He found solitude to be an agreeable companion.

It seemed that he was lucky, despite the heavy snowfalls of the morning, the storm seemed to have subsided. It wasn't exactly sunny, and the temperatures were at an all time low, but he could see ahead of himself well enough to not trip over every single root littering the forest's ground.

The large trees, though their branches were naked, had prevented the snow from pilling up as much as in the village, making it easier for him to explore the area without having to clear the snow on his way either.

His footsteps were heavy in the snow, leaving traces in the white mantle crunching under his weight. The forest was otherwise silent. No birds hunted in this weather. Some rodents hibernated, and others were snugly sleeping in groups in their hideouts.

But it wasn't after them that Sukuna was.

Sukuna was another type of hunter, one that operated in the darkness, dealing with beings existing on the edge of reality.

Such beings typically stayed away from humans most of the time. Though not those he was after at the moment.

Fairies were different. Fairies were dangerous, for plenty of reasons, but mostly because, contrary to other creatures, they oftentimes went after humans.

Where most creatures resided in specific places and remained peaceful as long as humans did not threaten their environments, fairies were nomadic creatures. They moved wherever they pleased, and were aggressive with humans on a whim. The two races did not mix well.

Sukuna had seen it first hand with the clan he was actively hunting down. He'd seen the damage they'd done to the previous city they had overtaken, women and children alike having perished from their attacks.

Sukuna had learned how to defend himself against their spells and ruses, but they were vicious creatures, and he'd made a point to stay away from them if the offered missions allowed it.

And he would have done so if it wasn't for some unfinished business tying him to the fairy clan he was currently after.

Sukuna hoped he could finish this before moving on.

Sukuna did not want to get his hopes up, and usually did not believe things without seeing it himself, but he had the feeling he was not alone in the forest. There was something else.

Years as a hunter allowed him to think so pretty confidently, but he still needed proof before he could wander more deeply inside the forest.

He didn't mind having to wait for it, though.

Sukuna did not sleep much. Years spent barely sleeping as a child, constantly on edge and fearing for his life, had left a mark on him. So he had grown used to not being able to sleep more than a couple of hours each night.

He didn't mind, as it enabled him to take advantage of this additional time to roam the paths and hunt what he was currently looking for.

Fairies weren't known for being nocturnal creatures, but it didn't mean that waiting out would not pay off.

And in the end, it paid off.

Sukuna lingered in the forest way past the moment the sun began to set. He did so because the moon had been full the night before, and that he knew it would be the same tonight, allowing him to see around himself without having to light up a torch.

He'd cooked some meat during the day to avoid having to light a fire at night, wrapping the pieces of meat tightly so it could retain the heat as long as possible.

After wandering for hours, he settled on a fallen trunk. He took a swig of his hyoutan, before he unwrapped his meat, salivating at the smell.

He had to admit that the butcher had not lied when he'd praised his own products. Sukuna made a mental note to buy some more the following day.

Sukuna savoured his meat in silence, when a whooshing sound resonated in the forest. He turned his head just in time to see purplish lights dancing beyond the trees.

Sukuna remained still, his mouth slightly parted, meat in his hand, frozen in the air. It happened three more times, in the same direction.

Sukuna waited patiently for the sight to subside before he took a bite off his meat. He finished his meal calmly, and left once he was done, leaving no trace of his presence.

His gait, though slow, grew erratic as realisation took over him. Those were spells he'd just witnessed. Only fairies produced such powerful strikes.

So fairies were in the forest. Sukuna was on the right track. He'd found them.

He wasn't yet sure if it was the clan he was looking for, but it didn't matter for now. He'd found fairies.

It took a few hours to Sukuna to walk back to the village. He slipped through the inn's doors silently, unnoticed, and went to bed. He struggled to fall asleep, excitement keeping him awake. But he had a busy day ahead of himself, and knew it wouldn't be reasonable to go without resting more than his usual couple of hours of sleep.

He ended up falling asleep anyway, benefiting from a few hours of sleep before rays filtered through his broken blinds and into his room.

It did not rouse Sukuna, who slept until the middle of the morning.

He woke up fully-rested and in splendid spirits. He dressed himself lazily, wanting to get a quick breakfast and some meat for the day to come before leaving for the expedition.

Sukuna could have almost fend himself of his best smile as he walked down the inn's stairs, before he remembered what reaction his smile could cause.

He was used to people being scared of him and treating him like a beast, but he was not in the mood to experience it today, not after such a big hit.

The old lady greeted him with a polite nod, bringing him his breakfast soon after Sukuna had sat down at a table. The room was mostly empty save for a couple and an old man. No one paid any attention to Sukuna, and he did the same, content with his food.

He then headed straight for the butcher's shop, holding himself back from complimenting the man. No need to get carried away.

On his way back, Sukuna noted that the streets were oddly empty. His thoughts quickly strayed away from it as he felt his purse in his pocket. He fished it out, retrieving a few coins. He pocketed it as he walked inside the inn, heading straight for the front desk. The old owner was already there when he leant his elbow on the counter, depositing the coins on it wordlessly.

The old lady looked up, her eyes flitting from his face to the money. 'Three more nights?' she asked.

Sukuna nodded. 'Yeah, breakfast and dinner included. I'll tell you the day before if I want lunch too.'

The old lady nodded, 'Very well, young man.'

Sukuna sent her a nod and headed his way, the old lady waiting for him to be gone before collecting the coins and bringing them to the front of the shop.

Sukuna left the inn one hour before lunch. He always got sleepy and slow after eating well for lunch, and he had no intention of slowing himself down with such a thing right now. He'd bought enough meat at the butcher's for two meals , and intended to cook it in the forest a few hours after he'd been gone.

With the spells of the night before, Sukuna had an idea of the direction in which he should head. It made the trek in the forest easier.

It had snowed in the morning again, his footsteps from the night before having been covered by a new layer since last night. But Sukuna didn't mind. He did not rely on it to steer himself.

He progressed inside the forest without much difficulty, settling down only when his stomach started to rumble. It took him a few minutes to light a fire, and he watched the flames lick at the meat once he'd placed the pieces on rocks on the edge of the makeshift campfire.

He had to refrain from eating his entire stock out of greed, licking his lips repetitively as he erased traces of his passage.

Sukuna set off before tiredness could overtake him. He kept his eyes and ears open, intent on remaining alert to not miss any clues, and to not get caught off guard.

He noticed the differences in trees between the different parts of the forest, well-enough familiarised with the environment after his previous exploration, and his memories of the forest from when he'd arrived in the village.

Which was why he slowed down as he stumbled on a peculiar row of trees on his path, crooked and oddly positioned.

He looked at the trees, bent towards the left. Towards the light, he thought, before realising that they were already bathing in the sunlight without needing to bend.

Leaning away, then, he mused. But away from what?

He looked behind himself, towards the appealing path, and then to the other side, from where the trees seemed to try to lean away from. He stepped towards it.

If there was anything Sukuna had learned as a hunter, it was that it was never in his interest to run away from things, and to be weary of signs. Signs were there to be followed, and ignored when they suggested caution.

He progressed on the uneven ground, following no path. He had to pay extra attention to the ground he walked onto, the lack of light filtering through the leaves darkening the surroundings, making it hard for him to make out the obstacles.

He didn't know where this would lead him, but it was still early in the day, so he wasn't too worried yet about the hour. That, and he was still at a relatively reasonable distance to walk back to the village if he ended up empty-handed.

Sukuna could feel that he wasn't walking into a particularly welcoming part of the forest. Animal tracks were getting scarce, and he couldn't hear any birds overhead.

Something odd seized him, a feeling that he was getting closer to something he shouldn't. It only made him want to continue.

Sukuna trekked until he noticed some light coming from behind a row of thick bushes and pines.

Finally, he stepped into a glade, making out a figure further down a path. Branches blocked the view, but a shiver ran down his back at the sight of white hair.

He came to a stop right as he stepped out of the foliage, and the stranger's head jerked in his direction.

White hair, grey eyes. Pale skin, blueish fingers. A light-coloured loose kimono, a knife tightly held at the waist.

A fairy.

The creature jumped to their feet, a wide smile on their lips. 'Hello, traveller,' it said. 'Are you lost?' it asked.

Not anymore, Sukuna thought as he looked up and down the fairy. 

Unaware of Sukuna's thoughts, the fairy stepped closer to Sukuna, and the young man walked to him, appearing unsuspecting.

'Come, young thing, you must be tired from all this walking,' the fairy continued, holding his arms open towards Sukuna.

The human couldn't even say a word before someone else emerged in the glade.

'I found the leaves, Corba, did you need anything–else….' The newcomer said, words faltering at the sight of someone else.

Sky-blue eyes met carmine eyes.

Satoru's lips parted, Sukuna's face remained neutral.

'Wonderful, Satoru!' The fairy exclaimed, turning towards the newcomer. 'Look at the young thing I just met,' he said, his hands gesturing in Sukuna's direction. His face, hidden from the human and facing Satoru, let the blue-eyed fairy know of the other's intentions towards the human.

'I was offering him to rest,' Corba explained.

Satoru started moving again, slowly stepping towards the pair, 'Of course…' he commented without much thought.

The hunter was here. Here. Meters from him, and centimetres from Corba.

And Corba was dangerous. 

But Sukuna was a hunter. He must have sensed Corba's intentions. Even then, it didn't stop Satoru from worrying about the situation.

Sukuna, the perfect ingenue, watched Corba with wonder and expectation, as if he sincerely looked forward to what the stranger could offer. If Satoru didn't know him, he, too, would've been fooled.

Sukuna's eyes were riveted by Satoru. He didn't look away from the white-haired fairy as he came closer to him.

Even though he'd been suspecting that he was on the right track and that he was getting closer to finding the Gojo clan, he didn't quite realise that his hunt was over.

Sukuna loathed the fact that there was this annoying fairy between them, and he wished to make him disappear. It didn't help that the creature seemed to bear the exact same murderous intent as him.

But Sukuna didn't know if he could act on it.

'Won't you lie down with us, young thing?' Corba said, offering his hand to Sukuna.

Sukuna hesitated. He knew fairies' powers worked fast and could knock you out with just a touch, and so he wasn't thrilled to grasp the offered hand. He wasn't even sure Satoru would do anything to help him if Corba decided to attack him right away.

Satoru had been the one who'd warned his clan about the hunter when they'd last met, after all. Satoru was the one who'd vanished in the span of a night after he'd assured Sukuna that he would be there the following morning.

Sukuna willed himself to calm down. This was not the time to dwell on the past. He had to act quickly, or Corba would get suspicious.

His eyes still on Satoru, he noticed the nod the fairy sent him.

Deciding to trust his guts, Sukuna took Corba's hands.

Slowly, the fairy led him further into the glade, to a trunk laying on its side on the ground. He made Sukuna sit down, exclaiming, 'I'll prepare you something!'

Satoru was standing there, watching Sukuna, and Corba angrily addressed him under his breath, 'Get moving, you, we need to be quick.'

Sukuna wondered how discreet he thought he was, because he'd heard everything, but he kept pretending like he hadn't. They disappeared from his sight and Sukuna thought about a plan. He knew which weapons he could use on fairies. He'd killed some before. But he didn't know how powerful this one was. And if he could rely on Satoru.

Slowly, he detached the dagger tied to his forearm, slipping it inside his sleeve until it was sitting on the edge of it, still invisible from outside. He made sure to secure another blade in the inside of his haori, within reach.

Sukuna looked up just in time to catch Satoru step back inside the glade, his gaze burning on him, soon followed by the sound of footsteps in the snow as Corba arrived behind him.

The fairy sent an exasperated look towards Satoru before his whole demeanour shifted as he came into Sukuna's view, offering him a wide smile.

Sukuna wondered how anyone could buy that, with the way his eyes screamed anything but openness and honesty, but he didn't think too much about it. He didn't know if people had already been lured by Corba's threatening embrace, and it was not his concern.

What was, instead, was how he would put an end to it without being killed himself. Fairies were dangerous, even when they only saw you as a prey.

Corba came standing in front of him, handing him his cup. Sukuna had trouble seeing how he could possibly go on without drinking it. With only a few seconds to think, he decided to bring the cup to his lips. He pretended to drink a few mouthfuls and finished by taking a true one inside his mouth, without swallowing. He let his hand drop, spilling the contents of the cup on the ground so Corba wouldn't notice how little of the drink Sukuna had actually drank. The hunter simply hoped the effects weren't supposed to be too quick.

Corba eyed him for a few seconds, evaluating Sukuna's reaction. He spoke after a minute or two had passed. 'Feeling better?' he asked.

Sukuna blinked, unable to speak without swallowing the concoction or letting Corba know that he hadn't drunk it.

Taking his lack of answer for a satisfying result of the potion, Corba smirked. He leant down, face inches away from Sukuna's. 'Perfect,' he commented. Sukuna did not like his expression.

He decided to act now. He notified it by sending a look Satoru's way, who seemed to understand, straightening up.

Corba started to pull away, and Sukuna spit out the potion in his face.

'What the–' Corba sputtered, surprised, as Sukuna stood up making him take a step back. Even when surprised, the fairy's reflexes were quick, and he dodged Sukuna's fist and the blade peeking out from his sleeve.

It grazed his skin nonetheless, cutting deep enough to make him bleed.

Corba staggered, wiping his mouth and left cheek, smearing his own blood on his face. 'You fucker,' he said, dumbfounded. His expression morphed into anger as he got into a fighting stance.

Sukuna did not want to leave him the opportunity to fully evaluate the situation, so he lunged at him, dagger ready to strike.

Unsurprisingly, Corba deftly dodged his attacks. They exchanged missed blows for a while, Satoru watching from the side, making no move towards any of the opponents.

Until Corba stumbled, Sukuna's knife burying into his left shoulder, to everyone's surprise. The fairy froze until he pushed Sukuna off of him, mumbling repeatedly, 'What the fuck, this shouldn't–shouldn't–what the fuck..'

He looked up, and Sukuna noticed the change in his eyes. He braced himself, knowing the next attack would be nothing like the strikes he'd sustained earlier.

Corba threw his dagger at him with deathly speed and aim, but Sukuna saw it coming. Busy avoiding the weapon, he did not, however, see Corba pounce on him.

Sukuna found himself thrown to the ground, unable to avoid a punch right in the face, on the left cheek. He felt the blow reverberating in his jaw, ears buzzing as the pain registered. He reacted in an instant, crashing his face into Corba's, who disappointingly didn't seem fazed.

Still holding onto Sukuna's collar, Corba raised one hand, slamming it on Sukuna's chest. Sukuna heaved in pain, heat travelling from his chest to his every limb, as if he'd been shocked, his insides set on fire.

He found himself unable to move as Corba raised another hand, iridescent lights coming out from his palm. Sukuna braced himself, knowing the next spell would hurt twice as much as the previous one.

Corba brought his hand down until he was thrown off of Sukuna and onto the ground in a blur.

Sukuna took this as an opportunity to crawl away from the fairy, sliding on the ground.

Satoru loomed over Corba, who jumped to his feet and grabbed him by the collar. 'The fuck you're doing, you?! Instead of fucking helping me!' Corba screamed at Satoru's face, only now remembering his presence.

Satoru remained silent for a few seconds, before he sidestepped, eyes falling on Sukuna. He assessed the man slowly getting up, and lunged at him.

Sukuna jumped and rolled on the ground to avoid him, raising his arm in his direction, the tip of his blade millimetres from Satoru's face.

The white-haired one smiled, taking a step back. He quickly raised his hand in front of himself and threw a spell Sukuna barely avoided. The purple ray destroyed trees in its wake, leaving the point of impact cleared of snow and debris.

Behind them Corba sputtered in shock at the strength of the attack, but the two opponents ignored him, throwing themselves at each other. They exchanged punches, blood dripping from both of their heads, running down their temples and foreheads.

Satoru dodged a blow, wrapping his legs around Sukuna's waist.

The pink-haired man dropped himself to the ground, rolling to cage the fairy under him.

Satoru planted his feet into the ground to avoid it from happening, raising his hand in a similar manner as Corba minutes earlier.

Sukuna trashed under him, trying to dislodge Satoru from his position on him. Seeing the fairy wouldn't budge, he opted for another option. He grabbed Satoru by the hair, knowing Satoru would expect another head-butt, and pulled.

The white-haired man hissed, momentarily thrown off balance by the strength of Sukuna's grasp. Sukuna threw him to the ground, bracing himself as Satoru immediately stood up.

They looked at each other briefly before they lunged at each other. Sukuna retrieved the blade inside his haori as their chests clashed together. The human grunted under the impact, still feeling the burn of Corba's attack earlier. He grabbed Satoru by the throat, subtly slipping his dagger inside Satoru's clothes. Satoru quickly slapped his hand away.

With a hand to his throat, he took a few steps back, soon joined by Corba.

'What the fuck was that?' the older fairy asked, frowning. 'I've never seen this attack of yours before,' he commented.

He watched as Sukuna lunged at them and sidestepped, standing before Satoru, back to him.

He didn't have the time to hear the other fairy answer him before he felt something sink into his flesh. He fell to his knees with a cry, throwing a spell haphazardly at the one behind him as he tried to move away. His spell created a screen of smoke, allowing him to get away from Satoru.

The scene cleared after a while, and Corba watched as Satoru stood next to Sukuna, a crazed look in his eyes.

'Betrayal, Satoru?' Corba asked, wiping the blood running down his nose. 'I always knew you were not to be trusted, you worthless scum,' he snarled.

Satoru burst into laughter. The irony of the words was not lost on him. This man who'd contributed to his harassment and marginalisation within his own clan now acted surprised when Satoru claimed his independence back and defied him? 'You are from olden times, Corba, it's time you make way to others,' Satoru commented nonchalantly.

Corba squinted at him. He wasn't substantially surprised by Satoru's betrayal, but he was regarding the reasons and why now of all times. Who was this human who seemed to have swayed Satoru? 'Why?' he asked, head dizzy from the previous blows he'd sustained.

'I'm protecting what's mine,' Satoru answered, a glint of hatred burning bright in his eyes. Corba shuddered. What a magnificent fairy they'd created. Ready to burn down the world. It was their aim at all times, to have a clan strong enough to wipe out any human village they'd seem fit, but he only now realised that it was risky if such a strong fairy decided to attack them instead.

Knowing there was no way to change his mind, Corba raised his arm. He quickly threw a few spells haphazardly, surprised when his vision blurred.

Satoru must have not missed him when he stabbed him earlier, and he had already been pretty banged up by Sukuna before that.

It seemed that one of his spells struck its target, though, as Corba heard a slightly worried Satoru exclaim 'Sukuna! Shit, you fucker!'

Corba blinked. Willing himself to stop and stand up from his hunched position.

He took a proper look at the human currently holding his stomach. Pink hair, black marks on his face. Corba’s eyes widened. 'You're the hunter,' he said, as if he finally understood what was happening to him. 'You're back, they weren't lying, you're– you'll keep hunting us,' he stammered.

Sukuna grinned devilishly. He loved when his reputation spread out and made him sound like a madman. He straightened up, rolling his shoulders. He'd been hit by one of Corba's spells, but the fairy was weakened, and it seemed he'd only been hurt by the impact and not the spell itself.

He walked towards Corba. 'Nice to meet you, fairy. I did not hear about you, but it'll be a pleasure all the same to put an end to your life.'

Corba did not have the time to answer before Sukuna leaped at him, almost punching him in the face.

Corba avoided him, but fell to his knees as he sensed Satoru behind his back, about to strike him too. He knew that no matter how long he'd resist, he was done for. The hunter was strong, and so was Satoru, it seemed. He was diminished, and knew he wouldn't be able to resist for too long.

Corba prepared a spell, throwing it in Satoru's direction. He'd rather die at the hands of the hunter than at this freak of nature. They exchanged a few spells until Sukuna was able to grab him by the arm and throw him to the ground. He punched him to the face, not dissimilar to what Cobra himself had done to Sukuna earlier.

Finally, Sukuna let the dagger in the inside of his sleeve slip into his hands. He looked at Corba's face one last time, the fairy seemingly waiting for his final blow, before he brought down his hand.

Satoru ripped the dagger from his hand and pushed Sukuna with his shoulder. Satoru dropped on his knees and plunged the blade into Corba's heart himself.

The fairy stopped struggling almost immediately, body sagging as life left him. Only the sound of Satoru and Sukuna's heavy breathing remained.

Sukuna watched Satoru silently, worried for a moment that they had just killed someone important to him. It didn't seem so, with the words they'd briefly exchanged, but the fairy was still from Satoru's clan. Sukuna didn't know how it felt, couldn't pretend to understand the struggle, but he could respect Satoru's potential inner turmoil.

The white-haired one suddenly jumped to his feet, turning to face Sukuna. He had an ecstatic smile on his face, a glimmer in his eyes. 'You came.'

Anger roared inside Sukuna as his nostrils flared. 'You– Of course I came you fucking asshole, you disappeared on me!'

Before he could even finish his sentence, Satoru winked at look, and set off towards the forest.

'What–What the fuck, come back!' He shouted, rushing after him.

Satoru was laughing heartily, but Sukuna did not share his enthusiasm. He followed him into the forest for what seemed to him like a long time.

'Stop, fuck–Are you going to listen to me?!' he exclaimed.

Satoru's steps faltered, and Sukuna reached out to grab his arm, yanking him to a stop.

'Listen to me,' Sukuna ordered through gritted teeth.

Satoru effectively stopped moving. Sukuna opened his mouth to speak, and Satoru threw himself at him, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling his face down for a kiss.

Sukuna was taken aback, quickly wrapping his arms around Satoru. Suddenly Sukuna didn't feel like arguing anymore.

Instead, he let hands roam on Satoru's clothed skin. He hadn’t realised how much he’d missed it, and it seemed his body was remembering it only now.

He felt want spread through him. He wanted more. He wanted to take Satoru now, right here, and he didn't feel like waiting.

Sukuna pushed Satoru to the ground, latching onto his neck while his hands gripped Satoru's sides possessively.

Satoru sighed contentedly as he bared his neck to give Sukuna better access.

'I wanna put my dick in you so bad' Sukuna mumbled as he nuzzled against his skin, ignoring the white hair tickling his face.

Satoru grinned like a madman under him, ecstatic to hear Sukuna's outspoken desire, to feel it growing against his thighs.

He slipped a hand in Sukuna's hair, pulling his head up so he could kiss him. Satoru loved the way Sukuna was letting go of his inhibitions.

The ground was cold under him, contrasting with the warmness of Sukuna's skin. He briefly thought it couldn’t possibly be a proper environment for a human to have sex in, but he brushed it off as Sukuna being too horny to hold back and wait to get in a proper place.

It was just as well, because Satoru would be lying if he claimed he could wait any longer.

Sukuna licked the inside of his mouth, chasing after his tongue, and it made Satoru feel like he was being devoured. It wasn't unpleasant, and it made him grip Sukuna's hair stronger, desperate to press their heads closer despite already being swapping spit.

Sukuna's hands found the edge of his obi, pulling on it, letting it drop to the ground, quickly followed by the kimono.

Satoru did not feel the cold, and usually never bothered to wear too much clothes. It proved to be quite convenient at the moment.

Not wanting to be left out of the possibility of groping the younger one, Satoru started peeling off Sukuna's clothes too. The task was arduous, though, with the multiple layers covering the pink-haired man.

Satoru gave up after the third one, letting Sukuna's kimono rest on his shoulders, his chest still covered by his juban and hanjuban. Satoru did not let it deter him as he slipped his hand under Sukuna's fundoshi, immediately being met with his hardness.

Sukuna hissed as he bucked in his grip, covering Satoru's body with his. He nipped at his neck, hand sneaking between Satoru's thigh, feeling the wetness against his fingertips as he reached Satoru's lower lips.

He slipped a finger inside Satoru, the fairy immediately asking for another one. 'Give me more, Sukuna,' he ordered, and Sukuna complied.

They'd fucked slowly before, but today did not seem to be what either of them were looking for.

Sukuna pumped himself a few times before he presented his cock to Satoru's entrance, the fairy's legs wrapping around his waist as he pulled him in.

They both groaned at the feeling, Satoru letting his head drop on the ground as he relished in Sukuna's arms. He felt the hunter's eyes on him but decided to keep them closed.

Sukuna thought Satoru looked ethereal under him, a true inhuman being. He let his right hand slide from Satoru’s side to his lower back, feeling for something, until he found a bump on the fair skin.

Satoru gasped as he writhed with Sukuna's touch, surprised.

Sukuna smirked, playing with the little bump on Satoru's back. 'Will you show them to me when you're done?' he asked.

Satoru hissed, trying to get him off, 'Not if you don't let them go now,'

Sukuna chuckled obeying, 'I'll take your words,' he started as he pulled his hand away. 'I want to see those pretty blue wings spread out for me later,'

Satoru clenched around Sukuna's cock in retaliation. 'Focus on fucking me properly instead of groping me and we’ll see,' he conceded.

Sukuna pretended to ignore him, though his thrusts grew faster. He was too horny to last too long anyway. He held Satoru by the waist as he fucked him rough, Satoru's moans getting louder.

'Shit Sukuna, right there, come on,'

Sukuna did not fare any better. He was huffing, head buried in Satoru's neck. 'Fuck, fuck, fuuck.'

'Are you cumming?' Satoru asked, tightened his legs around Sukuna's waist.

'Gonna cum in you,' Sukuna simply answered, and Satoru moaned.

'Fuck, yeah, cum inside.'

Sukuna didn't need any more to plow Satoru one, two, three times, until he bottomed out inside Satoru, seed spilling inside him.

Satoru bit his lips as he came, fingers sinking in Sukuna's back.

His body pulled taunt, one of his hands came to cup the back of Sukuna's head. His hand stroked the human's nape and the back of his head in lazy movements as Satoru himself heaved, slumping on the ground as the tension left his body and he relished in his subsiding orgasm. He braced himself for Sukuna to do the same and drop his weight on him, but it didn't come.

Instead, Sukuna started moving again. At first, Satoru expected him to pull out, but he slid back almost immediately.

Satoru frowned as Sukuna started thrusting again, Satoru clenched around him involuntarily as stimulations seized him. 'Fuck, you're eager, eh', Satoru said, surprised but not against it.

Sukuna did not answer, and Satoru did not take offence. He knew Sukuna often went silent, not feeling the need to use words. But he'd been quite vocal until now, and Satoru doubted he'd rush after an orgasm without considering Satoru's thoughts before.

Sukuna's fingers tightened their grasps on Satoru's hips, and his thrusts sped up, rhythm not quite like before.

Satoru gently coaxed Sukuna out of his tense position, forcing his head up. He was met with an odd sight, Sukuna's eyes shut closed, his brows furrowed, sweat beading at his temple. He almost looked in pain.

Satoru wasn't surprised for long. He felt the change in demeanour, and knew something was off with Sukuna's silence. He tried thinking about what could be happening to the younger man.

'Fuck,' Satoru murmured at one particularly strong thrust, 'what did you eat?' he asked, more likely only to himself, judging by Sukuna's state. There was no way the younger man could understand what he was saying right now, at least not long sentences and questions.

Satoru bit his lip, feeling the arousal return quickly. He knew he could go for another round, but didn't know how Sukuna's condition was affecting him. There was a high chance the younger man was not even feeling pleasure right now.

It wasn't the case for him, though. His desire flared despite the situation and the highly probable fact that Sukuna was not in full possession of his faculties.

What could have spurred such a reaction? Something Sukuna accidentally ate? Or touched? Satoru didn't remember seeing any plants with this effect in the area.

It was hard to think when Sukuna was starting to seriously speed up, his thrusts getting stronger, deeper, making Satoru close his eyes.

They snapped open a few seconds later when the younger man let out a whine in the lowest tone Satoru had ever heard him speak, 'Satoru..'

Alert, aroused, but alert, Satoru looked at the younger man. His face was flushed, and he looked at him with wide eyes, pupils dilated, sweat beading at his temples.

Satoru smiled. He had a feeling Sukuna would be more pliant right now. He cupped his face with one hand, 'Yes, baby?'

Indeed, Sukuna did not mind the pet name. Instead he scrunched up his nose, bucking his hips, looking unsatisfied.

'Want you,' Sukuna simply said.

Satoru beamed. 'You're already inside me, baby, you have me.'

Sukuna's eyes seemed to regain a semblance of awareness as he growled. His hands gripping Satoru's waist lifted him off the ground, roughly manhandling him and pressing his face on the ground.

Satoru moaned at the rough treatment. Sukuna didn’t usually behave this way, but he enjoyed the change in pace, despite how quick Sukuna’s whole demeanour had changed.

Of course, Satoru was a fairy and could very well kill Sukuna with the snap of a finger, but it was quite hot to feel Sukuna's strength as he moved him like he was weightless.

'Feels like you're using me,' Satoru commented between pants.

He almost jumped when Sukuna answered, voice right in his ear, his teeth grazing his earlobe. 'Does not feel like you're complaining.'

Satoru laughed, 'I am certainly not.'

Sukuna grunted, speeding up again. 'Shit, I want to come.'

'Do it, Sukuna.' He cursed as Sukuna bucked inside him roughly, making him slide on the ground for a few centimetres. 'Feel like you're going to split me in two.'

Sukuna hummed. His left hand slipped between Satoru's belly and the frozen ground. He settled on Satoru's stomach, and pressed a hand. 'Bet I could if I wanted. I can feel my cock inside you.'

'Fuck.'

'Should have let you on your back, could have seen my cock in your stomach.' Sukuna commented.

Satoru moaned, letting his head drop roughly on the ground. 'Shit that's hot. Press it harder,' he ordered.

Sukuna complied. 'Oh fuck I'm gonna come.'

'Do it,' Satoru said hurriedly.

'I'm coming, I'm coming.' Sukuna's hips stilled as he spilled inside of Satoru for the second time tonight. Satoru thanked himself for having thought of this and made it so the possibility of him getting pregnant was nonexistent.

Sukuna grunted, his hips bucking forward for a few more thrusts before his head shot up, eyes wide as he looked at Satoru. He roughly pushed himself off Satoru as he cursed, 'Fuck, FUCK, Satoru, I-.'

Satoru immediately stopped him by grabbing his arm and keeping him still. Slowly he pushed him on the ground, back in the snow.

His hands moved to Sukuna's cheeks, bringing his forehead against his. 'It's all good, Sukuna, focus.'

Sukuna's nostrils flared as he tried to control his breathing. He made a face as a wave of pain shot through him.

Seeing as the position did nothing to ease the pain, Satoru pulled away.

'Get up,' he ordered.

'What?' Sukuna asked.

'Get up, let me see how coordinated your movements are, I need to find what’s wrong with you.

Sukuna made a face. He wasn't feeling like getting up, but he knew Satoru was right. The sooner the older one found out what was the matter, the better he'd be able to help him. 'Fine, I'll get up,' he said reluctantly, 'but I'm not satisfied yet.'

Satoru chuckled as he got up too. 'Of course, I wouldn't expect any less from you.'

He let his hands roam along Sukuna's shoulders, back, chest, as he circled the man.

'What's the diagnostic, doctor?' Sukuna asked, momentarily distracted by Satoru's actions.

'I don't know,' Satoru answered, focused on his task. Sukuna's juban was in the way, and he decided to pull it open, as well as his hanjuban, leaving Sukuna's chest bare.

Satoru's hands slowed as it passed his abdomen.

Sukuna shivered, the tip of Satoru's fingers frozen over his heated skin. 'What?' he asked after Satoru passed his hands in the same area a third time.

Satoru did not answer, instead he bowed to look at Sukuna's stomach. Seeing as he was still too tall and the remaining clothes, albeit open, were in the way, he knelt.

Sukuna's breath hitched at the sight, arousal still pumping in his system. He almost put his hand on his head, before Satoru gasped.

'It's a sex curse!' he exclaimed.

'What?' Sukuna asked, thinking he'd misheard due to the wind.

'Corba, he must have thrown a sex curse while we were fighting. Probably mixed curses up, this idiot,' Satoru explained, looking up.

He moved his hand, allowing Sukuna to see the mark on his abdomen. Curved lines, blue, inked his skin. The pattern was not dissimilar to the tattoos littering his body, though it looked slightly different, as if in relief.

'What the fuck is this?' Sukuna asked, confused.

'The proof that you've been cursed. We call it a womb tattoo, though I'm slightly disappointed it didn't create a womb for you too for the occasion,' he ignored Sukuna's sputter, and continued. 'It forces you to fuck, or die,' he added casually.

'You're not serious?' Sukuna asked, dumbfounded.

Satoru shrugged. 'You know I wouldn't need to invent something like this to make you fuck me,' he said.

Fair enough, Sukuna thought. It could explain why his head was growing fuzzy, he was feeling desperately horny, and didn't want to do anything but push Satoru's face against his hard on.

'Frankly, I'm surprised by how resistant you are to the spell. The two orgasms must have cleared the curse off your system for a little time. But guessing with the colour of the tattoo, and the way you're looking at me right now, I think it's going to start again full force,' he added chuckling.

Already, Sukuna wasn't listening to him anymore. All he could see was Satoru's mouth, too far from him.

Satoru picked up quickly enough, and wrapped his hands around Sukuna's thighs, holding him in place.

'Okay okay, young man, I see you're not listening to me anymore.' He leant close to Sukuna's cock, breathing along the length, making Sukuna whine. 'I guess I'll let you do the talking huh,' he added, finally wrapping his lips around Sukuna.

The latter threw his head back, his hand immediately coming to grab the back of Satoru's head. He held him in place while he thrust confusedly.

Satoru let him do so for a few seconds, forcefully pulling himself away before he started lacking air. He coughed a little, shaking his head. 'This is not how you start the show,' he said.

Sukuna hissed, his cock bobbing in the air, dangerously close to Satoru's face. The latter smiled. He put his head against Sukuna's cock, making puppy eyes at him.

Sukuna scrunched up his face in pain, forcing Satoru to pull away. He liked teasing the human, but he did not enjoy seeing him in pain. He knew Sukuna was not in full control of his mind and movements, and he was not in the mood to take advantage of it.

Instead, he lapped Sukuna's tip, slowly moving along his cock, leaving wet tracks along the way.

'Shit, Satoru,' Sukuna cursed, eyes still closed.

'Shhh, I'm here,' Satoru answered, taking Sukuna in his mouth. He bobbed his head back and forth, twirling his tongue around Sukuna's cock. He knew the man would not last long.

Sukuna started thrusting rhythmically, letting Satoru pull away to mouth at his balls, making Sukuna moan even louder.

His thrusts picked up, until it stopped suddenly, making Satoru look up.

'I hate the way they say your name,' Sukuna said angrily, momentarily thinking back to the way the man had addressed Satoru.

Satoru frowned, confused.

'They don't deserve to say your name,' Sukuna added, not making much sense.

Still, it amused Satoru. Sukuna's protectiveness, as well as him being upset for such a silly thing, was almost cute. Unexpected, especially in the middle of Satoru blowing him, but quite funny.

It seemed that he was close anyway. Satoru pumped him a few times, opening his mouth and keeping his tongue out to not miss a single drop. The scene seemed to be able to tip Sukuna off, who came moaning Satoru's name, his cum painting Satoru's tongue and face white.

Satoru kept pumping his cock until Sukuna whined, overstimulated.

Sukuna put a knee on the ground, worn out by the three orgasms, and more likely, the effect of the curse.

'How do you feel?' Satoru asked.

Sukuna threw him a glare from his kneeling position. 'Like someone whose balls are empty, but still feel like feeling you up.'

Satoru hummed 'Not yet, huh.' He bowed his head to have a look at the mark on Sukuna's skin. It wasn't as bright as earlier, but it was far from being gone.

'Alright,' Satoru said, scooting closer, putting his hands on Sukuna's shoulders and gently pushing him on the ground.

'What are you doing?' Sukuna asked, wary.

'Taking over,' Satoru answered cheerfully, going down Sukuna's body, hands reaching for the man's cock. He was already growing hard again.

Sukuna hissed at the coldness of his hands. Satoru's fingers did not remain long, though. He replaced them with his mouth, licking a few stripes to make him grow bigger.

Satoru kept sucking Sukuna's cock, turning his tongue around the length while his own fingers played with himself. Not that he needed it, he couldn't remember ever getting this wet before. But he was getting horny again in the face of Sukuna's neediness.

A few seconds later, Sukuna was hissing, 'Satoru, can you–more– 

Satoru complied, pulling off Sukuna. He did not wipe his mouth but grabbed Sukuna by the hair and brought their lips together, smashing them together as he straddled his thighs. He swapped Sukuna's cum with him, enjoying the kiss. They hadn't really taken the time to kiss during all this, and Satoru appreciated it, especially when Sukuna was this pliant.

Sukuna moaned in the kiss, too distracted to notice Satoru's hand on his cock.

He clicked his tongue as Satoru pulled away, but did not have time to speak before Satoru replaced his hand, sinking on his cock.

Sukuna hissed. 'Fuck, warn me next time,' he commented.

'Where's the fun in that?' Satoru asked cheekily, bottoming out.

Sukuna ignored him, too focused on the feeling and the new angle.

Satoru let him rest for a few seconds, before he decided he'd had enough. He was horny too, and wanted some fun.

His hand languidly slid down his own chest, and he threw his head back, letting out a wanton moan as he twisted a nipple and squeezed around Sukuna's cock.

Sukuna's hands flew to his hips, stabilising him. 'Stop this,' he hissed, exaggerated sensations starting to get too much for him.

Satoru pouted. 'Come on Sukuna,' he started, slowly lifting himself until only Sukuna's tip remained inside himself.

He slid down almost immediately, dropping his weight when there wasn't much left.

Sukuna moaned and cursed, 'Shit, Satoru, you're a fucking demon.'

Satoru grinned impishly. Slowly, his hands reached for Sukuna's at his hips. He grabbed one of his hands, bringing it to his guts. 'Not a demon, a fairy,' he corrected. His other hand drifted to his clit, playing with himself. 'You feel it, how your human cock is too big for me, you feel how I can feel you through my skin?' he added, letting Sukuna's fingers feel the bump created by his own cock inside Satoru's womb.

Sukuna bucked his hips once, twice, three times before he emptied himself inside Satoru.

Satoru hummed, riding Sukuna's softening cock as he chased his own orgasm, rubbing his clit gradually faster. 'Shit, yes, Sukuna.'

Under him, Sukuna was squirming and protesting, his cock overstimulated from having come four times already. 'Shit Satoru, this hurts.'

Satoru cracked an eye open, 'Do you want me to stop?'

Sukuna furiously shook his head, 'NO!'

Satoru sank on Sukuna's cock one last time, stilling his movements as his thighs tightened around Sukuna's hips, and his pussy clenched around Sukuna's cock.

Sukuna whined as he stopped moving. 'No, no, Satoru I was so close.'

Satoru did not answer.

Sukuna let out a sob. 'Satoru, I need to come, Satoru, please.'

Without a word, the fairy lifted himself from Sukuna, his hand immediately wrapping around his cock.

He pumped him fast, his own slick enough to ease the movement. It seemed the last orgasm had left Sukuna too tired to even move his hips, so Satoru decided to oblige him. He tightened his grasp on Sukuna's cock, and used his other hand to softly fondle his balls.

Seeing as this wasn't enough, he leant down, gently blowing hot hair on Sukuna's cock.

'Yeah, oh, yes,' Sukuna said breathlessly.

Encouraged by the vague words, Satoru leant down, licking the tip of Sukuna's cock.

The young man's entire body tensed as he came, the last few ropes of cum inside him landing on Satoru's face, joining the one from earlier.

Satoru smiled impishly, licking the few drops of cum having landed on his hand and dripping down his nose. He sat next to the other man, his arms on the ground behind himself to prop himself up.

'Enough?' he asked.

He was surprised to be answered by a choked 'No.'

Satoru's eyes flew open, and he looked at Sukuna's state. His face was whiter than before, and he was panting. He did not look okay.

Satoru opened his mouth to answer, but Sukuna practically climbed on him, straddling his right leg. He immediately started moving his hips, pursuing an orgasm he didn't even want, but had no choice but to chase.

Sukuna was obviously at his limits, his body barely moving. He moved slowly, knees on the ground, no strength left in his legs to close them around Satoru's.

Satoru held him, a hand on his lower back, the other on his left side, keeping him upright.

He wasn't even making sounds anymore, just chasing his orgasm. Satoru encouraged him, 'Cum for me, Sukuna, one last, just for me,’ he said.

Sukuna clenched his eyes. 'Can't,’ he protested through gritted teeth.

Satoru continued rubbing circles on his lower back. He was tempted to reach for his nipples, but seeing how overstimulated Sukuna was, he decided to spare him. Instead, he leant closer to the younger man, whispering to his ear, 'Come on baby, cum for me.'

He was about to talk again when Sukuna stilled. Satoru mistook his orgasm for shivers, his frame shaking, his orgasm dry as he was completely spent.

His body slumped, and Satoru gently laid him on the ground. He refrained from stroking his skin, but lowered himself to take a look at Sukuna's groin. As he expected, the mark was gone, completely faded after Sukuna was left spent and exhausted.

Satoru settled down against Sukuna's body, savouring the feeling of Sukuna's skin under his fingertips.

Gradually, Sukuna got his breath back. He was not asleep yet, but Satoru could feel how the adrenaline was slowly giving way to fatigue. Sukuna would not be awake for long.

It didn't stop him from speaking, though. 'It was you by the river the first night, then?' he asked after a while, straightening up to have a better look at Satoru's face.

Satoru's smile widened, and he nodded smugly.

Sukuna felt like strangling him on the spot. He sighed instead, letting his head fall back on the ground, his body too exhausted for Satoru's antics. 'You're an asshole,' he said instead.

Satoru pouted as Sukuna did not rise to the bet. He nuzzled against Sukuna's skin instead.

He thought of the night on the bridge, and what he'd felt when he'd recognised Sukuna down by the river. He had wondered if the man was here by accident, or if he was looking for him. He didn't know the answer. He wasn't sure if he should be vulnerable with Sukuna right now, so he chose not to mention it.

He felt Sukuna shiver under him, and only now remembered that Sukuna was not meant to stay in such weather for so long, and especially not naked. The adrenaline and effects of the spell had rendered him insensitive to cold, but now that its effects dispersed, Sukuna was probably starting to feel the cold again.

Satoru reluctantly pulled away from the younger man. He watched Sukuna’s face, his eyes closed as he was falling asleep, unaware of the deathly trap he found himself in if Satoru decided not to wake him up.

Satoru reached out, fingers drawing the contour of Sukuna's tattoos on his face. His eyes fluttered open, unfocused for a second before he took in Satoru.

Satoru contemplated what to do. On one hand, he liked to tease Sukuna, and telling him that he was currently naked in the snow would be an efficient way to make him freak out and jump out of his skin and around. But it would then mean the loss of Sukuna's warmth, and, selfishly, Satoru did not want that. On the other hand, he could coax him up, bring him somewhere warmer, somewhere intended for humans. With a bit of luck Sukuna would remain pliant and soft during the journey there, and Satoru would still be able to lay with him later.

He'd have plenty of time to tease him later, Satoru decided, and instead put a hand on Sukuna's left lower arm. He squeezed gently, talking, 'Let's move somewhere else Sukuna, right?'

The younger man blinked a few times before he sat up, grunting. Satoru helped him put on his shirt before he could realise he wasn't wearing it, and helped him up. Sukuna complied without a word, letting Satoru practically carry him across the woods once Satoru had dressed him.

Satoru looked up by chance and was surprised to find the moon greeting him. He looked around, realising only now that the night had fallen. His vision allowed him to see just as well in the day and night, which explained why he hadn't noticed it, but it meant that they'd spent hours fucking in the night and Sukuna had been too far gone for him to say anything. Sukuna had been under influence for hours, and it meant he'd been gone for a while too. The clan would ask questions, he was sure of it. Even more so when they'd realise the disappearance, and then death, of one of their own.

Satoru thought about what to do, before he decided to accompany Sukuna to his room in the inn. Spending any more time outside for either of them would be too suspicious in the long run.

Satoru supported Sukuna through the woods, clearing the way with his abilities, while Sukuna walked mindlessly, too tired to say anything.

Once they reached the outskirts of the village, Satoru faded in the night, his presence invisible to curious eyes. Sukuna looked like a drunkard with his faltering gait, but they met no obstacle as they walked the cobblestone roads. It continued even as they walked through the front door of the inn, Satoru waiting for the old lady to fetch something in the room behind the counter to slip inside discreetly.

Sukuna was conscious, but Satoru still wanted to avoid letting him have any interaction with someone right now. The human could still pass his invisible entrance to the inn as a simple oversight from the inn keeper, but he'd have trouble explaining what he'd been doing in the middle of the night in the forest in freezing weather.

Satoru wanted to avoid Sukuna being accused of association with supernatural beings in a village that no doubt left little tolerance of sorcery acts.

Sukuna slept through an entire day, dead to the world and his surroundings, not answering to the knock on his door by the inn's owner for breakfast. She picked up quickly, though, as she left him alone for the rest of the day.

Sukuna found the strength to drag himself out of bed a little before dinner. He felt disgusting, his skin sticky all over. He decided he'd take a bath before doing anything else.

He did so rather peacefully, the baths being empty as he lounged in the hot water. He rolled his shoulders, hissing at the way his muscles strained. He'd really gone all out on Satoru the previous day, it seemed.

He was surprised he could remember most of it, as he remembered he'd been pretty out of it most of the time. He shook his head, not wanting to think too much about it.

The fact that he'd finally found Satoru again had not yet fully registered, and he struggled to comprehend it.

He walked to the dining room past dinner time, but the old owner was there to serve him nonetheless. She said nothing as she deposited the plate before him, and left just as soon. Sukuna ate in silence, feeling rather satisfied with his dinner despite not having been hungry before his bath.

Still, his mind was not at ease. He could not stop thinking about Satoru. About the fact that he'd finally found him, and that he was finally within reach. But also that Satoru could decide to disappear with his clan overnight once again. He'd done it once, nothing guaranteed Sukuna he wouldn't for a second time.

To get his mind off of it, Sukuna decided he'd work on his maps before going to bed. –He'd slept all day long but still felt exhausted–.

Sukuna charted all the places he went to, in case a future mission ever sent him in the area again. This, and it calmed him. Outside of giving him a better comprehension of where he was, it helped soothe his nerves and facilitated his explorations. 

Gojo knew it would only be a matter of time before his clan would realise Corba's disappearance. He was fortunate not to have been seen beside him that day, Corba having found him while he was trying to sneak outside. It was unlikely he'd be a suspect.

Interrogations on his whereabouts started coming on the second day after reconnecting with Sukuna. Word of mouth and concern about the older fairy travelled to Satoru's ears, but he did not spread the word. Everyone knew he was at loggerheads with Corba, and him having anything to say about his disappearance except happiness could raise suspicion in the long run.

He realised he could take the situation to his advantage to keep the attention away from him and Sukuna. But for this it meant having a foil, someone who would take the blame, and the blunt of the clan's anger.

He had an inkling on who to use, but he wasn't sure if he should discuss it with Sukuna first. He figured the human would have objections, and he was not quite certain he could lose time trying to reach him before he acted.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gojo knew it would only be a matter of time before his clan would realise Corba's disappearance. He was fortunate not to have been seen beside him that day, Corba having found him while he was trying to sneak outside. It was unlikely he'd be a suspect.

Interrogations on Corba's whereabouts started coming on the second day after he reconnected with Sukuna. Word of mouth and concern about the older fairy travelled to Satoru's ears, but he did not spread the word. Everyone knew he was at loggerheads with Corba, and him having anything to say about his disappearance except happiness could raise suspicion in the long run.

He realised he could take the situation to his advantage to keep the attention away from him and Sukuna. But for this it meant having a foil, someone who would take the blame, and the blunt of the clan's anger.

He had an inkling on what to do, but he wasn't sure if he should discuss it with Sukuna first. He figured the human would have objections, and he was not quite certain he could lose time trying to reach him before he acted.

Satoru waited for the night to fall before he stepped outside the settlement. He held himself back from whistling and even whirling in the air as he headed towards the village. The prospect of being able to walk a few kilometres and find Sukuna at the end was a possibility he had not expected would fill him with so much joy.

Once on the outskirts of the village, he used the same spell as the other night, concealing himself with magic. He used his wings to fly over the town, heading straight for Sukuna's room window. He was lucky the man had been given the room at the very top of the inn; his arrival, though concealed, went even more unnoticed.

He knocked on the window, and watched as Sukuna looked up from his map. Ah, he's still making them, Satoru thought, remembering fondly how he'd often found Sukuna bent over his own maps and drawings, when they were last together.

Sukuna opened the window, and Satoru entered, closing it behind himself. Sukuna sat back down at his desk, and Satoru stopped his wings, dropping on the bed.

They watched each other, gazes flitting from one detail to the other, contemplating a hand; a stray strand of hair; fluttering eyelashes.

The silence, at first comfortable as the two men took in the other's appearance, turned colder as Sukuna started glaring at Satoru.

The latter sighed. 'I guess I owe you an apology,' he said.

'You think so?' Sukuna retorted, barely leaving him any time to continue.

Satoru opened his mouth, just to close it again, thinking. Better than to speak too quickly and ruin what they have, again. 'I'm sorry. For leaving. For lying to you. For betraying you,' Satoru said, confident at first, though his voice grew lower as he spoke.

Sukuna watched his face intently, looking for any trace of lies, of anything that could justify pushing Satoru away. But he couldn't resolve himself to do so. He was too happy to see him, finally, and he refused to deny himself this pleasure. He'd never denied himself anything.

'Fine,' he said.

Satoru's eyebrows jumped to his hairline. 'Really?'

Sukuna grunted, waving a hand in the air dismissively.

'Like that, I'm forgiven?' Satoru continued, in disbelief.

Sukuna shook his head. 'Certainly not, it'll be a while for that, but it can wait.' Sukuna answered cryptically.

Satoru snorted. He crawled off the bed to walk to Sukuna's chair, standing before him, towering him. He lifted his head with one finger.

'I love you, Sukuna.'

Sukuna's eyes widened comically, his whole body jerking in surprise. 'What?!'

'I spinelessly left you without warning and you chased me down the entire country. How could it be any different?' Satoru explained, smiling bitter-sweetly. 'You could very well be here to kill me, and I'd let you.'

Sukuna was stunned, not having expected something like this from the man who had coldly abandoned him months before. His lips parted. 'I- he started, not finding his words.

Satoru shook his head, letting go of Sukuna's chin. He bent down instead, lips grazing Sukuna's. 'It's okay, you don't need to say anything.' He knew the answer already. After all, as he’d said, Sukuna had crossed the entire country just to find him. And the moment he'd done so, he'd killed one of the most abusive members of Satoru's clan without knowing. This was proof of love enough for the fairy.

Instead of using words, Sukuna grabbed the back of Satoru's neck and crushed their lips together. They kissed as if they were kissing for the first time, slow and languid.

They separated for air a minute or two later, and Satoru led Sukuna to the bed.

Sukuna glared at him, complaining, 'Don't try anything funny, I swear I'm not in the mood.'

Satoru chuckled, 'Hey, it wasn't my fault. Don't say you didn't find our reunion sexy!'

Sukuna clicked his tongue, and Satoru raised his hands in surrender, 'Okay, okay, I'll stop it.'

They settled comfortably in bed, shoulders to shoulders, back against the wall, Satoru's head resting against Sukuna's. Satoru took hold of Sukuna’s hand, fiddling with his fingers.

'You're so childish sometimes,' Sukuna commented.

Satoru's shoulders shook before a laugh resonated in the room. 'Do you want me to act like an old man?'

Sukuna sent him a look. 'Not really. It's hard to realise you're so old when you act like a teenager.'

Satoru straightened up to have a better look at Sukuna's face. 'But I'm older than you. I'm practically corrupting you by being with you right now.

Sukuna snorted. 'Sure.'

'Don't laugh!' Satoru protested.

Sukuna was not laughing. 'I'm not. Simply, you're the one being held captive by your family and fearing to escape. If I didn't know any better I'd think you're the younger one,' Sukuna commented.

'Don't call them my family,' Satoru answered tit for tat, hating to be reminded of the reality behind his shackling to the clan. In the end, Satoru was just utterly terrified of ending up alone, and would rather spend the entirety of his life bullied and hiding his own strength than giving his clan what they'd always been wanting. A bearer of the six eyes and limitless.

'But it's different now,' Gojo said after having lost himself in his own thoughts, 'you're here.'

Sukuna hummed. 'Does it mean you would come with me, this time?' he asked.

Satoru tensed. His hands, still fidgeting with Sukuna's fingers, stopped. 'You would let me come?'

Sukuna clicked his tongue. 'I'm not offering it lightly,' he explained, not liking the way Satoru did not seem to understand the importance of his offer.

And maybe he did, and this was why he considered it seriously instead of giving Sukuna the answer he was waiting to hear. And maybe this was why Sukuna was upset by Satoru's reaction. He feared rejection just as much as the fairy.

'I would, Sukuna,' Satoru started, before he straightened up, strengthening his grapes on Sukuna's hands and squeezing them. 'I will, if you'll still have me, I will follow you.'

Relief flooded Sukuna's veins, but he let nothing show. He asked the most important pressing point, instead. 'You would be ready to leave your clan for good, then?'

'Yes,' Satoru answered, resolute. A thought seemed to cross his mind. 'And with Corba's disappearance, the clan will focus on this. He's an important member of the clan.'

'They'll look for his murderer when they find his body, then?' Sukuna asked, worried about what could happen to Satoru if he was found out.

Satoru nodded. 'Yes, they will. But what if we helped them find him?'

Sukuna often found Satoru hard to follow. 'What?' he asked.

'What if we laid the blame on someone else? Someone believable, like the humans in the village? It would be likely for them to kill a fairy, and my clan would seek revenge. They'd be focused on this, and wouldn't notice that I'm gone!' Satoru explained. He sounded mad, overtly enthused by his own idea. Sukuna loved him best when he acted like a madman.

'If you think that'd work,' Sukuna said, shrugging.

'Oh it would, I know that. But would you be ready to use the village and its villagers as a scapegoat? I can guarantee their safety would be threatened if we let it happen.' Satoru asked.

Sukuna thought for a few seconds, before he shrugged again, 'It wouldn't be my first time using humans as scapegoats.' He looked at Satoru's face, seeking his eyes. 'As long as I get you all to myself by the end, I don't care about the way we achieve it.'

Satoru smiled, bright and full of teeth. This was the perks of having fallen for a creatures’ hunter. He was just as crazy as him. 

Two souls, both feared and ostracized by their kinds. Of course they'd found solace in each other.

Sukuna was itching to go to the forest, but did not venture inside. Satoru had explained he'd leave a human dagger, similar to Sukuna's, by Corba's corpse so it could stir the troubles, and Satoru had explicitly asked him not to wander into the forest before he'd tell him so.

According to Satoru's words from the night he visited him after having hid the knife, the search party for Corba would soon find the fairy's body, and the next human on the fairies' path would be at risk of suffering their wrath.

So be it, then. Sukuna agreed to remain in the village until otherwise notified. He'd chased Satoru for months, he could wait a couple more days to finally snatch him away from that crazy clan.

Corba's body was found on the fourth day after Satoru's last meeting with Sukuna, snow having covered his body for the past few days and having made it hard for the fairies to find him quickly.

His murder was obvious, his body littered in cuts and his heart having been pierced by a dagger.

The news of his death, though not its circumstances, spread through the clan in a few hours only, and it did not take long before the elders summoned everyone to discuss the situation.

Satoru was tempted to skip it, just like he would have at any other time, but he was curious to know what the others had deduced. It helped that he was caught before he could step outside, the matriarch's eyes landing on him, and silently beckoning him.

He begrudgingly followed her and the rest of his branch until the meeting place. Though Satoru was almost two centuries old, he was considered as a young adult by fairies standard, if not for a late teenager even by his own branch.

On one hand, Satoru did not mind, as it allowed him to be underestimated. But on the other hand, it also made the others treat him like a child, and he was often in trouble for not complying. Some punishments were more preferably avoided than not.

The square was already packed with people, the entirety of the clan having reunited to listen to the higher-ups.

Surprised whispers crossed the crowd as the doyenne of the clan appeared on the small stage put up for the occasion.

The doyenne was, as her name indicated, the oldest member of the clan. Her age was unknown, but Satoru knew she was old, old. She rarely showed herself in public, which was justified by her old age, though Satoru suspected it had more to do with her preferring to pull the strings from behind the scene.

The old fairy had a cane, made in a peculiar tree's root. Speculations on the tree's power were rife, and some believed it to be the reason behind her longevity. Satoru had never given it much thought, but he did not put it past the old hag to cheat on life with a power she would never lend to her counterparts.

Silence befell the crowd as the doyenne raised a hand. Her voice was low, but the crowd remained silent, listening intently.

'I am saddened to have to announce the death of Corba. He was found by a patrol this morning a little on the west of the settlement. Whispers crossed the crowd. Death was rare in the clan, fairies living centuries before old age could settle. 'How could it happen?' were joined by choruses of 'Did he cross paths with a snow leopard?' and 'He wasn't this old, was he?'

The doyenne waited for the discussions to cease before she continued. 'We found a dagger lying close to Corba's body, undoubtedly from human craftsmanship.' She announced, and an uproar went through the crowd.

'What? Corba was killed by humans?'

'I thought the village was supposed to be harmless?'

'How could such a strong fighter like Corba be killed by a human blade?

The doyenne raised a hand, encouraging the crowd to calm down. 'We are still investigating. I will let you know about our findings. There is no reason to believe we are in any immediate danger, but as long as we haven't seen the culprit, I urge you to tread with extreme caution on the outskirt of the human village. Please refrain from interacting with its inhabitants and making your existence and presence known. We do not know for sure if news of our settlement has reached the village, but it is better not to precipitate it.'

People were barely listening to her, they were already imagining what they would do next. The doyenne sighed. 'We will find the culprit,' she assured, 'but we also mustn't alarm the humans. Do not retaliate, do not try to avenge Corba –Satoru huffed. 'As if anyone would want to,' he said, getting a few glares from his branch. But he couldn't help it, he hadn't even controlled it– Stay away from them, I order you'.

The doyenne rarely ordered the clan to do anything, and this seemed to be enough to settle the small uprising forming in the crowd. It took a little time for the news to fully settle in, but people slowly started leaving the square, returning to their houses.

Satoru did so too, glad he was allowed a smug smile for that asshole's death. He and his branch walked back to their shared house near the middle of the settlement. Satoru walked ahead of them, feeling the watchful gaze of the matriarch on his back. But Satoru was serene, he knew there was no way the murder could be traced back to him or Sukuna.

He could not wait to hear from Sukuna soon enough. The human had promised he'd devise a plan to get him out of the clan, but had not said much more, and Gojo was stuck waiting with only the promise that they'd meet again in a couple of days, in Sukuna's room.

Wulfram was set on hunting a few birds for dinner tonight. He was sick of eating game meat, and craved something else.

He'd taken an unknown path as he'd wandered into the forest, looking for some sort of new challenge as he looked for his prey.

Though he was young, he'd already hunted in the forest more than a hundred times, and so was quick to recognise the sound of footsteps in snow belonging to something that should not be here.

He turned on his heels in time to see two figures stepping away from a tree, and right in his sight.

The two froze similarly, eyeing the man standing across from them.

Wulfram frowned. He'd never seen those two before. And looking more closely, he realised they were too lightly dressed for the current weather.

He made a step their way, trying to identify them, and the two shot each other a look, unsure of what to do.

'Who are you?' Wulfram asked.

The two remained unmoving, frozen, skin so pale it looked like snow. Wulfram's eyes widened. 'Are you–' he started asking, walking towards the duo.

'Stay away!' The older one of the two ordered.

Wulfram stopped two metres from them. 'You're fairies, right?!' he exclaimed.

The young fairy cowered behind the older one at the sight of the human's knife. He was on edge ever since Corba's death, and wasn't particularly fond of humans.

Wulfram faltered. If those two really were fairies, he was in danger. They weren't known for being kind. 'What are you doing here? This isn't a place for you.'

The young fairy spluttered, 'What do you even know!'

Wulfram frowned. 'There never were fairies here, this place is not for you!'

'Fuck off!' The older fairy finally reacted, rebuffing the human.

Wulfram was starting to be on the defensive. Fairies were not living in the area, so it couldn't be good to have a clan nearby. This was a threat for the village, and he couldn't have it. 

'Your kind have nothing to do here!' he insisted.

The conversation was becoming heated.

'You're not the one to decide,' the old fairy answered, pissed off.

'I don't care, you should leave the forest and the village altogether. You're a danger to our village,' Wulfram insisted.

'How dare you say something like this when your kind killed Corba!' The young fairy exclaimed.

The farmer frowned, confused, 'Corba?' What is that?'

'Don't pretend like you don't know!' The young fairy said.

'What the fuck are you talking about?!' Wulfram asked, taking a step towards the two.

'YOUR kind killed one of our own, that's what it is!' the young answered.

Wulfram snorted, 'You're losing your mind, kid, we've killed no fairies.'

Pissed in the face of what he thought was mocking, the young fairy threw a spell at the human.

The poor farmer barely avoided it. 'Hey!' He exclaimed, 'If it's a fight you want, you'll have it!' he added, fishing an additional dagger out of clothes and throwing himself at the fairy who attacked him.

Not expecting the counterattack, the young fairy got a pretty deep cut in his left shoulder before he could fully react. The older fairy pulled him back by the collar, crashing into the human, sending him rolling back on the ground.

The human was immediately back on his feet, aiming for the younger fairy once again. 'Come here!' he called.

The younger one's eyes were wide as he reacted to the human's exclamation. Panicked, he avoided the knife sent his way by falling on his ass to the ground.

The older fairy sent a curse the human's way, but he avoided it, once again focusing his attention on the younger one.

Frightened, the younger fairy prepared a spell. He could see he would not be able to complete it before the human would reach him. He resorted to hand-to-hand, jumping on the human, throwing him off the ground.

Wulfram got up immediately, and was met by the older fairy who grabbed him by the collar. They exchanged blows while the younger fairy got back on his feet.

Panicked and worried about his counterpart, the latter noticed Wulfram's knife on the ground. Seeing as the other fairy was struggling with the human, the young fairy did not hesitate for long.

He grabbed the knife, and threw himself at the human, stabbing him in the neck. The man struggled for a few seconds, turning to look at his attacker with a frown, before the young fairy took a step back, afraid, knife in hand.

Blood immediately flew out of the wound, the human helplessly trying to stop it with his hands wrapped around his throat. But the blood made his hands slippery, and they couldn't stop the flow this much.

The human collapsed on the ground in blood red stained snow. He made a gurgling sound as he tried to speak, but couldn't. And finally, he stopped struggling, lying still on the ground, dead.

Both fairies watched him for a few seconds, digesting the events that had just happened.

And then, the older fairy moved.

'What have you done?!' he screamed, grabbing the younger one by the collar.

The latter looked sheepish, his wings fluttering behind himself in reaction. 'Got carried away, sorry…'

The older fairy sighed, letting him go. 'Well, what's done is done. He deserved it for what happened to Corba, I guess.'

The young fairy's face hardened, shame turning to pride with a single sentence.

He looked at the cooling body on the ground. 'What should we do with him, then?'

The older fairy followed his gaze. 'Leave him as he is. They'll find him just like we found Corba,' he said.

The younger one nodded, already adjusting his bag.

'Don't get too excited, though. We still have to tell the doyenne about it.' The older fairy added.

The young one made a face. She wasn't exactly known for being amenable.

Despite the younger fairy's apprehension, the duo headed to the largest building of the settlement, asking to meet with the doyenne.

She received them after a short waiting time, listening to their account silently. She welcomed the news with a closed face, not letting her emotions show. She did not ask questions either.

Once they were done with recounting the story, the doyenne dismissed them. The younger fairy did not need to be told twice, scurrying away from the place. The older fairy lingered though, seemingly hesitating.

'One more thing,' he said, finally.

The doyenne looked at him but said no word.

'The human did not seem to know about Corba's death. He was confused when we mentioned it, and he was not lying. This might just be a minor detail, someone foreign to the village and who would have been left out of the news, but I just think it is worth mentioning.'

The doyenne nodded. 'Thank you for telling me.'

The other fairy nodded, leaving the room and closing the door behind himself.

Once she was sure the two had left the building, the doyenne summoned her advisor. She had a few requests to make.

She could sense something was brewing, and she needed to look into it.

'You've asked to see us, doyenne?' A young woman with long hair asked a few hours later, standing by the door of a large room located in the largest building of the fairy settlement. Two fairies stood there, already waiting.

The figure of the doyenne detached itself from the duo, leaning forward on her cane. 'Yes, you may enter.'

The long-haired one complied, followed by an older fairy with grey eyes. The older one bowed as he closed the door behind himself, joining the small group in the centre of the room.

The doyenne was with her advisor, and she'd been joined by the sentry's head and the settlement's doctor.

'Have you done what I've tasked you with?' The doyenne asked as the newcomers reached the rest of the group.

The long-haired one was the first to speak. She nodded. 'Yes, madam. I have searched the area near the settlement.'

'And what have you found?' The doyenne asked.

'What you suggested,' the long-haired one started, 'We found traces of a spell stronger than one Corba could have pulled off. I've never seen such strength before. Satoru has used his technique, I am certain.'

The doyenne nodded, but said nothing. She turned towards the grey-eyed one, compelling him to talk without being asked to.

'I have conducted the examination you've asked of me too. Your assumptions were correct, I found two pink hair on Corba's clothes.'

The doyenne hummed.

'So that hunter is back,' the advisor supplied, lost in thoughts.

'No way…' the long-haired one said. 'We have to stop him before it escalates like last time.'

The doyenne shook her head. 'This hunter is no threat alone. It is Satoru who must be stopped. Though the chosen one, he has proved countless times already how dangerous he could be if pitted against us,' she said.

The long-haired one shook her head. 'But you've said it yourself, he is the chosen one, we can't possibly dispose of him.'

'Then we have to subdue him, make him lose what has caused such a stir in him, put an end to his rebellious streak so he may come back on the right track.' The sentry’s head interjected.

'Kill the human, you mean? This is foolish. It will only anger him more, give him one final reason to spark things off and go berserk on us.' The advisor reacted. 'What do you think, doyenne?'

The old fairy seemed lost in thoughts. 'Satoru is old enough to realise that acts lead to consequences. He might be strong, but never more than our clan as one. He must be taught a lesson. And for this, the hunter must be eliminated.' She finally said, her tone definitive.

Silence spread in the room as the doyenne's words echoed. Her decisions were absolute.

Sukuna heard people running through the streeets, piquing his curiosity. He couldn't hear much from his room, but decided it'd be better for his maps if he took a break and went to see what was going on.

He put on a jacket and walked to the town square where most people had gathered around something on the ground.

He didn't ask what happened, villagers talking loudly enough for him to deduce things on his own. The crowd moved and Sukuna caught a glimpse of a bloodied hand on the ground.

Based on that, it wasn't hard to understand what had happened. This guy had been killed in the forest. And Sukuna knew who had done it.

It seemed the villagers too, judging by their exclamations.

Sukuna almost startled as a man came to stand next to him, almost too close for comfort. 'Aren't you a hunter?' he asked.

Sukuna grunted. The man smiled, conniving. 'Recognised the way you held yourself, heh,' he explained. 'If you're looking for a good hunt, I heard they hurt a fairy on their way to get the poor boy. They stabbed one of those things, a particularly lanky one. He cowered away calling for someone. I bet it'd be an easy catch for you, right?' the guy asked, elbowing Sukuna.

Sukuna's blood ran cold. A lanky fairy? What if it was Satoru? What if he'd been on his way to come here, impatient, and had been at the wrong place at the wrong time? Fuck. Sukuna couldn't risk it.

'Whatever,' he said to the man, slipping away from the crowd and heading for the inn. The old lady was still there, as if what happened outside did not concern her. Sukuna ignored her gaze and climbed to his room.

He grabbed his backpack, making sure his survival pack was inside, and rushed down the stairs. He headed in the opposite direction of the crowd, and towards where they'd found the dead man.

From where he stood, the old man watched him go. He was the only one who had noticed his presence, and his departure. He chuckled as he watched him. He, too, took a step back from the crowd, heading towards the forest. A hundred or two metres from there, a woman came to meet him. She had a smirk on her lips.

'He was easier to convince than I would've thought,' she said.

The man shook his head. 'The doyenne told us he'd react this way. She's always right.'

Sukuna looked everywhere during his walk, observing the ground in search of any evidence that Satoru had followed this path. Or any fairies, for that matter. 

It might not have been Satoru, but Sukuna couldn't risk it. If there was a chance that Satoru was out there, wounded and bleeding, Sukuna had to find him. He couldn't possibly leave Satoru alone. Not after they'd finally found themselves again. Sukuna had left no stone unturned in his quest for Satoru. It wasn't a little bit of snow that would stop him.

Snow and wind, too, it seemed so. It was picking up, but Sukuna had paid it no mind, too focused on his surroundings. Now, though, and without his avail, his mind was deviating, looking for distractions.

Sukuna thought of Satoru. The image of the fairy sitting on him in the snow flashed in his mind. Beautiful as Sukuna pushed into him, his face in ecstasy. Sukuna thought about the look on Satoru's face as he drove the knife in Corba's heart, too. Anger, relief, and pleasure, mixed together.

If he had to only keep one of Satoru's expressions, it would have been either of those two. Bliss as they fucked in the snow, or relief as he killed a man he hated. Sukuna hoped that if it ever came to it, and Satoru was the one to kill him, he'd have a face akin to those two.

Sukuna blinked, straightening up. He'd almost stepped into a hole. His ankle wouldn't have appreciated.

The cold was biting, and it appeared to him that the wind did not seem to settle. Sukuna cursed. He'd been lulled by his own thoughts, forgetting to focus on his surroundings. And the forest was unforgiving in such weather conditions.

Sukuna had little ways to know which time it was, the wind and snow making it too difficult for him to see the sky, but he was sure he’d been at it for a few hours already. And Satoru was still nowhere to be found. 

Sukuna had started calling his name after the first two hours, forgoing discretion to find his lover. But the latter was nowhere to be found. And Sukuna had seen no traces of fairies in the area either.

Sukuna had been set up, the fact had become clear a little while ago now, the last few hours spent looking around fruitlessly.

As he’d realised the set up, he’d braced himself to be attacked, his strength and guard lowered after having walked into what seemed to be a snowstorm for a few hours. But as time passed and nothing happened, Sukuna was rethinking his conclusions.

It appeared that he was the bait that would bring Satoru out. Which meant that, somehow, they'd been found out. But if he was the bait, how come Satoru was nowhere to be found?

Sukuna hoped he wouldn't come, if the aim was to harm him.

In any other context, Sukuna would have been confident in his abilities to stand up to a group of fairies, or humans, or both, but the cold had weakened him and he was no longer answerable for anything.

His fingers, though buried in his pockets, were starting to get frozen. They burned from the cold. All twenty of them.

His movements were turning sluggish as he fought against the cold, the wind, and the fatigue. He'd been outside for hours, and he had made out nothing allowing him to find a path.

For all he knew, he could have been walking in circles for the past kilometres or so, and he wouldn't have known.

Sukuna was not a stupid man. He was a hunter, and he knew his work environment. This did not look good for him.

The night was drawing in, and he did not see a way out of this for himself. He breathed out, the air from his own breath no longer letting him feel a touch of hot air. Everything was cold inside him. It had never happened before.

Sukuna was not the dramatic type, but even he could see when situations slipped through his fingers, and were beyond repair.

He held his sigh back. He was starting to run out of air, too. The gusts of wind were too strong, and he had no time to take his breath back, focused on not tumbling.

Sukuna closed his eyes. He held little hope that something would happen now, not after more than four hours in the snow.

His eyes fluttered against his will. Fuck. Now, really?

But, well, he couldn't even consider himself close to his goal, as he had no idea of where he was.

Sukuna did not want to give up, but he was getting tired. Maybe a nap would be enough to pep him up. He did not believe a word of it himself.

He tripped over his own feet, his arms and the snow carpet cushioned his fall. He found it comfortable. At least he didn't feel the wind this much, lying down.

He closed his eyes.

Satoru was fuming. He'd been planning on going out to see Sukuna tonight, but everyone in his branch seemed to have united to make him do menial tasks he was sure others would be better at. He had no choice but to do them, though, as he laid low, hoping it would facilitate his escape with Sukuna.

Still, he'd planned on paying a visit to Sukuna tonight, and it would be too risqué now that his branch had insisted on him staying for dinner after he'd helped them prepare it. He knew Sukuna had been planning on going out today, and he had imagined slipping inside his inn’s room before his return, and to surprise him.

Satoru was so upset he'd locked himself up in his bedroom, struggling to calm down ever since.

No matter how much he tried to move on, he couldn't think about anything else. Couldn't keep his mind off Sukuna's face, the black lines on his skin, his hair's hue, his tooth. After a few days without seeing him, he missed the hunter. He obsessed over the man's teeth, his pointy canines, the way he licked his own upper teeth when he looked at Satoru, as if he pondered on eating him, or worse. Better, probably.

Satoru paced back and forth in his room, mulling over the situation. The audacity of this clan, really.

He was taken out of his reverie by a voice calling his name, and he sighed. It was no use resisting and ignoring it, the elders knew he was here.

Reluctantly, he walked to his door, pulling it open and walking into the endless corridor. He stepped forward into the light, lined windows taking almost the entirety of the wall. He dragged his feet across the hallway, head cast low as he tried to push the thought of Sukuna away.

A yawn took over him, and he threw his head back, stretching his arms over his head at the same time.

He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye with a hand, eyes blinking open as he finally looked through the windows.

He was greeted by white, just like the previous days. Nothing but pure white. The thought of Sukuna walking in the forest surrounded by snow flashed in his mind.

The man was outside now. Satoru knew he was. Snow was falling profusely, and piling up noticeably under Satoru's gaze. It registered to Satoru that the weather might have been rougher than expected.

His steps faltered as he observed the outside world more closely. Snowflakes were whirling outside, a sign of a rough wind. Satoru could not hear outside, but there was no doubt a storm was raging.

What could have been the odds? Sukuna would probably not be able to hunt much outside today.

Satoru's steps came to a stop as he kept on observing through the windows. What a coincidence, indeed. He had not been aware of a storm coming. He had not felt it. And now there was one, and Sukuna was outside. Outside, wandering in a forest he didn't know this well.

It was as if the wind had rushed into the corridor as a shiver trailed down Satoru's spine. This was no natural storm. This was intentional. Fairy-made, Satoru could feel it in his guts.

And if it was intentional, it meant that Sukuna had not escaped it, and he was stranded in the middle of the forest in a snowstorm, as the night was falling.

Satoru started running across the corridor, its endless rows of windows constantly in Satoru's peripheral vision, unable to escape their ominous depiction of the environment in which Sukuna was left.

He burst through the door and into the hall, heads turning his way from the door on the other side, opening onto the dining room.

Satoru's glare at the matriarch was enough to let her know that he'd figured it all out, and she made a face.

'Satoru,' she started calmly, but Satoru hissed. He had the urge to lunge at her, but he kept thinking about Sukuna in the snow. He clenched his fists, continuing towards the front door instead.

He heard her call after him, and then warn the others, but he didn't pay attention to it.

He knew he'd be fast enough to leave the premises before anyone could hold him back, but he didn't know if he'd be fast enough to find Sukuna in time.

He had no idea for how long the storm had been raging, no idea of whether Sukuna had been attacked in order to bring him down more easily.

The only solace Satoru found in the falling snow was that, if the storm was for Sukuna, then he hadn't been killed by the clan just yet. There would be no use for the snow with a dead man. Not even to hide his body. Everyone knew Sukuna was a stranger in the village, and that no one would look for him or worry if he did not come back. It was expected of him, anyway, for a stranger to disappear in the blizzard.

Satoru wobbled on his feet as he stepped outside. He couldn't possibly change in his true form in the storm, as he'd be thrown around in an instant. He had to walk despite the significant amount of snow already on the ground.

Satoru had the urge to run, but knew it was useless in this weather. He remembered the last time Sukuna had berated him, explaining how the snow was too heavy and sturdy here to really move around quickly. Satoru remembered how Sukuna had told him that it was a good thing to take his time, wander around instead of running around, simply observing his surroundings.

Satoru often forgot that Sukuna was a hunter, a pretty good one at that. You couldn't hunt if you didn't understand your prey, and their natural habitats. Satoru had listened to him, then, and though it was sort of useful to him now, he wished he didn't remember it so clearly. It made the situation painful, forcing him to realise that maybe Sukuna would not be able to teach him something else again.

No. This wasn't possible. Sukuna would not be brought down by this, not without a fight.

Satoru headed for the village, the place from which Sukuna had started his trail.

Fuck, he thought. How had they been found out? How was it possible, when he'd done everything right?

And still, the clan denied him freedom again, trying to rip Sukuna away from him. But they wouldn't be able to, nothing would make them pry the hunter from his fingers.

Anger simmered in Satoru's blood, and he stopped in his tracks. The wind was too distracting.

He raised a hand, eyes wide open. Satoru felt energy run through him, his wings fluttering behind him. His feet lifted off the ground, and Satoru whispered 'Domain Expansion.'

There was the sound of the storm, and then nothing. There was no trees left around him, only the snow carpet, and an impossibly starry sky.

Seeing no bump in the snow, Satoru continued walking, focused on the ground. He walked, and walked, and walked. Not even aware of the passing time. But he didn't care, didn't think, ears strained as he looked for the smallest of sound.

And then he heard it. Nothing much, really, but deafening in the domain Satoru had just created. The sound of a chest raising with difficulty, heaving under the weight of the snow, the exhaustion, and the lack of air.

Satoru dropped his domain. Wind, light, and sound rushing to his face at once. The pain in his eyes was like nothing he'd experienced before, but he ignored it. He rushed through the forest in search of the sound he'd just heard, the proof of Sukuna still breathing.

He stumbled, regained his balance, shouldered his way through the trees. And found the area he'd located in his domain.

There was a lump right here, underneath an oak, covered in snow.

Satoru fell to his knees, bare fingers immediately digging into the snow, feeling the cold seeping in his bones, running from his fingertips to his knuckles, and to his wrists. Still, he didn't stop. He could feel Sukuna under the snow, knew he was here because he'd grown used to the human and had latched onto him, creating a bond between them Satoru had never formed before with anyone else.

Sukuna was all he could think about. Sukuna, Sukuna, Sukuna.

He kept digging, getting closer and closer to unearthing the human. He was panting, and only then realised that he was repeating Sukuna's name out loud.

Shit. Satoru couldn't remember the last time he'd been in such a state. Probably Suguru's death.

The reminder of his best-friend's fate acted like a rude shock, and he sped up his movements, until his fingers grazed against fabric.

He ran his hands along the cloth, trying to determine the direction in which he should dig.

It took him almost two more minutes to finally get Sukuna's body out of the snow. While he had finally brought his head up, snow had already had the time to cover his feet.

It did not deter Satoru as he brought Sukuna's lips to his ear. He remained still as he anxiously waited for a sound, anything, and felt like screaming when he felt Sukuna's breath against his cheek. It was weak, and frozen, but at least it was something.

He grabbed Sukuna under the shoulders, pulling his upper body out of its frozen grave. Briefly brushing caked snow from the man's hair, he grabbed him under the knees with his other hand, finally lifting him off the ground.

Sukuna's head dangled in the air as Satoru took the first few steps. Satoru wanted to cradle his face, shield him from the storm, but Sukuna was way too big for it.

He was so white, Satoru had never seen him so pale. He looked so young, too. He wasn't even frowning, pain no longer registering to his frozen muscles and cold-addled brain.

Satoru's heart thumped in his ribcage as he suppressed a sob. What was he even doing?

Sukuna was so young compared to him. He knew fairies and humans experienced time differently, and that Sukuna would no doubt scoff at him for this, but he couldn't help it. Sukuna was almost dying in his arms, and he couldn't help the guilt from piercing his heart.

Satoru moved with difficulty in the snow, but he persevered. He was intent on bringing Sukuna somewhere safe, if such a place even existed around here. He remembered a small cabin he'd noticed on the path to the village, and decided it was their best option at the moment. Satoru's ability to make fire was useless now in the storm, but once shielded from the wind he'd be able to make something a little hotter for Sukuna, and would be able to try to warm him up.

The walk appeared endless to Satoru, and he held Sukuna tighter with each step.

Finally, the cabin came into view. Satoru barged in, almost knocking the front door off its hinges. There was a pile of sheets and a small mattress resting directly on the floor. Satoru did not waste time in laying Sukuna down.

He turned towards the hearth behind him. Logs were resting haphazardly against the wall, and he pushed them in the fireplace. With a flick of his wrist, he made the logs levitate, and with the other, formed a sphere around them, trapping a flame inside. He let it warm and ignite the logs while he turned back to Sukuna.

He started peeling off Sukuna's wet clothes, wrapping his legs and torso in the clean blanket. Satoru ran a hand in Sukuna's hair and made a face. It was soaked.

Satoru turned to the fire, bursting the sphere and letting the fire fall back in the heart. He put another log in for good measure, and turned back to Sukuna.

He stepped over him, and started removing his own coat. Fairies' skin was not known for being warm, but he could heat up his hands if needed, and his clothed chest would be enough to keep Sukuna's back at a reasonable temperature, too.

He placed Sukuna on him, legs tangled together.

Satoru grabbed a clean sheet, tearing off a piece of fabric. He ran it against Sukuna's temples, his hair, drying it off as best as he could. Once he was satisfied with his work, he threw the cloth aside and wrapped an arm around Sukuna's chest, his other holding Sukuna's middle. He dropped his head against the back of Sukuna's, letting his warm breath hit Sukuna's nape.

Satoru closed his eyes. He listened to Sukuna's heartbeat, waiting for it to pick up its beating rhythm. Violent shivers took over Sukuna, spasms racking his body. His breathing was still low, and remained so for a few hours.

Satoru was used to loneliness and silence, but it was deafening when he was hanging to Sukuna's every sound. Listening for a shift in his breathing, a groan, a smack of his lips.

Satoru spent the night on the look-out, not seeing time pass.

As dawn reared its head, Satoru started worrying about the food. Not for him, as he needed less than humans, but for Sukuna. There was nothing interesting in the cabin, and with the storm, all the animals had fled.

Making another log levitate to the hearth, Satoru noticed Sukuna's backpack on the ground. Satoru smiled. Luckily for him, Sukuna was foresighted.

He flew the bag to him, using his powers to pull out its content. There was a survival pack inside, with dried meat, nuts, and seaweeds. Sukuna's hyoutan was also inside the bag. Satoru would have to make him drink the minute he'd wake up.

There was a notebook, too. Satoru looked at Sukuna's face, still soundly asleep, and decided it wouldn't hurt to take a quick peek.

There were , in the first page, drawings of birds Satoru had never seen in real life. Their names were written down in calligraphy aside. Satoru flipped the pages, stumbling on watercolours of singular places. A pond, a temple, a tree under the snow.

Satoru had seen Sukuna's maps, but he didn't know the human could draw this well. He continued flipping through the notebook until he stumbled on a portrait. He froze as he looked at his own face put down on paper.

The drawing-version of him had rosy cheeks and white teeth, a large smile on his face. His eyes were closed.

Was this how Sukuna saw him? He looked happy, at peace. Satoru blushed.

He turned the page and gasped. There was an intricate depiction of his wings' pattern. The contour of his wings purple, the ridges a light blue, and the rest white, almost translucent.

Satoru realised, as he turned the next few pages, that there were dozens of drawings of his wings there. Did Sukuna like them this much? Satoru had never realised it.

'Stop snooping in other people's stuff,' a voice resonated in the cabin, making Satoru jump out of his skin, and his wings flutter slightly.

'Wha–Sukuna! You're awake, you're–,' he paused, lowering his voice as he saw Sukuna wince. 'Sorry. How are you feeling?' he asked.

Sukuna shivered. 'Cold,' he said.

Satoru snorted. 'Yeah, no shit.' He grabbed the hyoutan, holding it up for Sukuna to drink. The latter tried to bat Satoru's hand away, to drink by himself, but his hands shook too much for him to grab the gourd, and he resolved himself to let Satoru hold it for him for the time being.

'Do you want to eat something?' Satoru asked as he lowered the gourd.

Sukuna shook his head. He readjusted himself against Satoru's chest. 'No, I'll only puke it back.'

'Kinky,' Satoru said, snorting.

Sukuna shifted on Satoru again, not finding a proper position. 'Shut it,' he grumbled after Satoru's words registered.

Satoru watched him struggle before he suggested, 'Let's lie down, yeah?'

Sukuna's eyes flitted to his face, and he sighed. 'Yeah.' His movements were sluggish as Satoru helped him move on the makeshift bed.

Satoru battled for it, but he was able to convince Sukuna to face the fire and let Satoru wrap his arms around him. Sukuna grunted, explaining that he had more arms and thus it was only logical for him to be the one to hold Satoru, but the fairy had none of that.

'I don't want your cold chest against my wings,' Satoru complained, slipping behind Sukuna and under the covers. He nuzzled his nose against Sukuna's nape, listening to the sounds Sukuna made. His heartbeat had increased since he'd awakened.

It seemed that the storm had stopped outside, silence even engulfing the forest now. The sound of the crackling fire in the hearth disrupted it, lulling Satoru to sleep. It was odd to feel Sukuna fall asleep in his arms, too. Satoru knew Sukuna rarely rested, so it felt wrong to have him sleep so much in one sitting.

Still, Satoru appreciated their moment of reprieve.

Closing his eyes, Satoru let mushiness take over him. 'I love you,' he whispered privately, as if they could be caught, as if it wasn't just the two of them within a ten-kilometres-radius.

Sukuna laced one of his hands with Satoru's right one, squeezing it in his.

It told Satoru everything he needed to know.

They woke up a few hours later, Sukuna accepting the nuts from the survival kit. Satoru insisted, and he took a piece of dried meat, too. He shunned the algae.

They fell back asleep again, wasting the day away. Satoru was delighted.

The next time Satoru woke up, it was to empty arms and a cold bed. He jumped out of the sheets in panic, calming down as his eyes fell on Sukuna, stoking the fire.

Satoru crossed the room hastily, 'You shouldn't be standing already!' he exclaimed.

Sukuna ignored him, stretching his upper arms behind his back.

'I'm not joking, you should still be resting.' Satoru insisted.

'We can't afford that,' Sukuna said, turning towards him and crossing his arms. 'Your clan will start looking for you once they realise you're gone. They might have already realised that you rescued me, we shouldn't waste more time.' Sukuna explained.

He wasn't wrong, and Satoru could admit it, but it didn't mean Sukuna should go around nonetheless.

Satoru came closer to him, a hand resting on one of Sukuna's biceps. His fingers gently traced the black rings circling his muscles. 'Eat something else, at least?'

Sukuna made a face. His appetite still hadn't returned, and he didn't feel like eating anything. He cupped Satoru's face with a hand, sighing. 'Fine.'

Satoru beamed, jumping into action and getting the food out. He hummed happily, his wings fluttering irregularly.

Sukuna watched him, the urge to run his hands along Satoru's back stronger than anything else. He decided to ignore it. He came to sit next to Satoru when he was done, and agreed to take a few bites of each element Satoru handed him. Even the algae.

Once he deemed himself full, Sukuna let his back rest against the wall, Satoru clinging to him. Sukuna snorted, wrapping his two left arms around his waist. 'You're ogling,' he commented.

Satoru smirked. 'I know.'

Sukuna observed him silently, his fingers dancing on Satoru's ticklish side.He broke the silence after a few minutes. 'This is getting hot.'

'You think so? I didn't do anything, but it's still flattering that you'd think so,' Satoru answered with a smile.

But Sukuna shook his head, a frown resting on his brows. He straightened up, face alert. 'No, I'm being serious, it's too hot here. There's something wrong.' He let go of Satoru and stood up, walking towards the door.

He opened the door and was met with the sight of large and dark fumes rising from the sky. He could see flames licking the crown of pines and oaks alike. 'Fuck,' he cursed, stepping outside.

Fire was ravaging the forest and Sukuna could feel the flames on his skin, a phantom touch, dangerously close to him. A tree could collapse any moment, and take him with its fall, but he didn't seem to realise it, too transfixed on the fire.

The scenery was breathtaking. He hadn't thought the fire would be so wild when snow still covered the ground. But the forest harboured too many dead within its heart, and trees and corpses alike formed an efficient combustible, it appeared.

Satoru came to stand by his side, watching the sight too. He broke out of his haze after a minute or two. 'We need to get out of here,' he started, pulling Sukuna back inside the cabin. He forced him to put on his warmest clothes, and collected their belongings. Satoru realised he had none, everything was in the settlement.

He wasn't fond of anything there.

'Do you think the fire was caused by fairies' spells?' Sukuna asked as he joined him by the door.

Satoru nodded, 'Very likely, yes.'

'Then your plan worked a little too well, and got out of hands, I guess,' Sukuna commented.

Satoru watched his face. 'Do you regret it?' he asked.

Sukuna shook his head. 'Don't ask stupid questions.' He started walking ahead, joined by Satoru. The fairy didn't really like the idea of Sukuna going out just yet after what had happened, but it wasn't like they had a choice.

'I'm surprised they used such powerful spells, though, I can't remember the clan using something similar to this before.' Satoru commented.

'They were probably surprised by the number of people. It isn't a big village, but many travellers got stranded because of snowfall, so it's probable there were some mages and hunters in that bunch.' Sukuna explained.

'Ah. I didn't think so many people would get stuck there in the process,' Satoru said sheepishly.

Sukuna shot him a look. 'So the heavy snow came from you as well'

Satoru raised his hands 'I plead guilty.'

Sukuna shook his head. 'Whatever, it allowed me to find you, so that was a pretty well-thought idea.'

They walked away from the cabin for a few minutes, before Sukuna stopped.

'What's going on?' Satoru asked.

'Your village is on fire too.' Sukuna noted, flames rising from the sky in the opposite direction from the village.

'Oh,' Satoru said, surprised.

'Do you want to go?' Sukuna asked.

'No!' Satoru reacted, pivoting. 'I'll stay with you, it's what I decided!' He continued walking ahead, away from the fire. He stopped after a few metres. Sukuna hadn't followed him.

Satoru rubbed a hand against his face. 'Yeah, I think I want to see how it goes…' he confessed.

Sukuna knew it. He'd offered, already knowing the answer.

'Go, then. I'll go to the village. We'll meet on the outskirts, by the bridge from the first night, okay?' Sukuna said, eyes meeting Satoru's.

Satoru nodded. 'I'll be back.'

Sukuna watched him go. He did not make him promise. He chose to believe Satoru would come back to him this time.

Compared to the human village, the forest was infinitely quieter, burning away passively, defencelessly.

As Sukuna had noticed, the settlement indeed was on fire. The fairies, no doubt like the humans, were running around, surprised by the sudden fire and the destruction. They were not used to being at the end of an attack.

If anything, they were even less prepared than the humans for such a fire, as their hubris had rendered them unable to even imagine that their violence could be returned to them. Their houses, made of fire, burned to the ground in minutes.

Satoru didn't know why he had come here. It wasn't to retrieve anything, as he wanted no ties to the clan. Maybe it was for the sight, only. He'd come just to witness the fall of his clan. To make sure they would no longer be able to hurt him.

He reached the doyenne's house, surprised to find her on the ground. Even her advisors had fled the scene, leaving her behind without any hesitation. Power was little in the face of disasters, it seemed.

The doyenne was trying to reach for her cane, lying a few centimetres from her.

Satoru watched her as she struggled to extend her hand. The object was burning, though, the wood darkened by flames slowly eating at the cane. Satoru had been sure before that the doyenne's face couldn't change much, but she looked infinitely older right now. So the rumours had been true. The cane had really been keeping her alive.

Satoru watched with indifference. Voice rising over the creaking of the settlement going up in flames. 'It's too late now, your cane's already half-burnt,' he commented.

The old lady continued to reach for it, probably unable to hear him. Satoru shrugged. He turned towards his branch's house. Did he really want to see them now?

One one hand, he knew he'd be fine with seeing them dead. On the other hand, he knew he'd be attacked if he showed his face now. It would be better to leave it as it is. Disappear in the wild. They would not come looking for him. Not after losing so much. They'd have other things to deal with.

He turned away from the scene, resolute in leaving the place for good.

'Satoru.'

He stopped, turning towards the voice. He learned to never show his back to her.

The matriarch was there, watching him. Satoru's eyes drifted to her abdomen, watching as blood seeped from a wound, wooden debris lodged in her body. The liver was hit. She was condemned.

Satoru remained silent, watching her hanging by a thread.

'We did everything for you,' she started. 'Your powers go beyond anything you could imagine. You should use them for the greater good, for us. And when you'll be ready, you'll make a wonderful clan leader.'

Satoru blinked, digesting her words. She had a hell of a nerve. He burst out laughing. 'A clan leader huh? You're a true purveyor of dreams, heh.'

He stepped closer to her, a hand in his hair. He leant down. 'And pray tell me, dear matriarch, which clan are you talking about?' he asked.

He waved his hands around them. 'You're seeing a clan here?' he paused. 'Not me. Just flames. There's only flames left. You can have them if you want. I don't want it. I don't want anything you'll ever offer me.'

He took a step back, looking her up and down. 'It'll never be good enough for me.'

Satoru turned around and walked away. He ignored the calling of his name, resolute in leaving the clan for good.

Sukuna was waiting for him.

Sukuna wandered through the village's streets out of curiosity. The battle between the two camps had seemingly already ended. Corpses now littered the ground, and people kept fleeing the scene, carrying their belongings, muddying the white snow with their haste.

His feet led him to the inn. Just like any other building in the village, it was on fire.

The old owner stood before it, contemplating her own inn, her source of income, going up in flames.

Smoke billowed from the kiseru held tightly between her fingers. She brought it to her lips regularly to take a drag.

Coming to stand beside her, Sukuna asked her, 'Are you not distressed by your loss?'

The old lady shrugged. 'There's nothing I can do against it.'

Sukuna snorted. He didn't understand what was going on here, but he respected her decision. He liked her resolute face and acceptance. Her dignity.

Finally, the old owner tore her eyes off the fire. She bent to her knees, grabbing something and handing it to Sukuna.

Sukuna used his lower left hand to grab it, chuckling as the old lady zeroed it on it. She said nothing about it, though. Sukuna eyes widened as he realised the old lady was handing him his bag.

His maps. He hadn't even thought about them. He'd left everything in the room as he'd rushed to Satoru's rescue.

'You saved it?!' he asked, incredulous.

The old lady shrugged. 'I entered your room to warn you about the fire, but you were not there. I guessed fire wouldn't do good to all that paper.'

Sukuna was dumbfounded. The work of a lifetime, which could have gone up in flames just like that. And he wouldn't have been able to do anything about it.

'Thank you,' he said dumbly. 'Really, thank you.'

The old lady waved a hand. 'Whatever.' She shot him a look, Sukuna feeling her gaze on his face. 'You should get going,' she said, 'The villagers will soon start looking for someone to blame.'

Sukuna nodded. He had no reason to stay any longer anyway. 'Thank you,' he said one last time, to which the old lady answered with a nod.

He took the path he'd first used upon arrival, watching as he approached the outline of Satoru's silhouette standing by the bridge.

'All done?' Satoru asked him as he came within hearing range.

Sukuna nodded. He looked below the bridge, remembering Satoru's little trick from that night. He looked at his lover. 'You'll have to show me how far your powers go, once we're out of this. No more lies and concealment.'

Satoru nodded, scooting closer to Sukuna, pressing his foreheard against his, his left hand against Sukuna's nape. 'Promise.'

Satisfied, Sukuna dislodged himself from Satoru's grip, starting to walk away from the village.

'Wait for me!' Satoru exclaimed, running in the snow, latching onto Sukuna's right arms. 'I didn't ask you how you're feeling now?' He asked.

Sukuna sighed. 'I'm fine, Satoru. I told you I recovered already.'

Satoru didn't believe him. He pressed himself against the younger man, as if about to support him.

For some reason, Sukuna let him. He looked down at the fairy, at his face and his drawn features. 'And you?' he asked. 'How do you feel?'

'Fine,' Satoru said after a short silence. 'Fantastic, actually!' he added loudly. He had a large smile on his face, almost reaching his ears, forcing him to close his eyes.

Sukuna chuckled. He'd dreamt of this sight so often before, and now it was his, forever. He exhaled. The smell of the smoke reached his nose, and he found it pleasant.

He found it a fitting end, to go deep in the forest with Satoru by his side, snow crunching under their feet as the world they abandoned burned away.