𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑳𝑴 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑫𝑶𝑾𝑺 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈 - 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘'𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔

BY THURSDAY, ANOTHER SORCERER WAS DEAD. Mikazuki didn't know the woman well – she was younger, must have been a first-year when she was exiled to Argentina, meaning the Kinzoku never really got to know her. Not that it made a difference, as Mikazuki soon found herself in a whole new whirlwind of grief, watching as the girl's parents hovered over her coffin, the sepulchral silence of the church feeling otherworldly when paired with the closed casket that currently held Yoshioka Moriko.

Kinzoku Mikazuki stood on the back, standing by the warped columns as she watched the mournful expression of the dead parent's girl. The couple was hold and they held each other's hand, as if that would be enough to protect them from the grief. It wasn't and, for a moment, Mikazuki felt a swell of pity for the pair. The sorceress sighed, adjusting the collar of her dress as the summer heat pounded on her skin. Her gaze travelled through the room, watching the grieving couple at the front before inspecting the crowd.

There were many people there – some of them family friends, but most of them simply strangers. It reminded her of Keisuke's farewell, a ceremony that had played out like a party instead of the funeral it was intended to be as. But today felt different. Maybe it was because Moriko was the fifteenth shaman to die suspiciously in the past couple of months, or maybe it was because of her Zenin heritage. It was hard to say, with the way things were going on.

Mikazuki straightened her back, shaking her aching shoulders before her golden eyes fell on her own parents. Asahi and Hide were sat at the front row, wearing the clan colours proudly and acting like a wounded couple when in reality they probably rejoiced. One less sorcerer to worry about. Those were the only kind of thoughts they were capable of. Mikazuki should have joined them, but unlike the vultures she liked to call 'parents', the sorceress did not wish to make today about herself.

Instead, she sighed, pulling herself back together and setting her sight on the pedestal, right where the coffin was propped up against the wooden cross. She could see Moriko's deathly still face from here, the golden locks cast around her like a crown. She almost looked asleep, were it not for the absence of a pulse or the lack of Cursed Energy flowing from her body. It was sad, and although Mikazuki's intentions towards The Magistrate were devoid of any kindness, she did feel sorry for their people.

Not everyone deserved to die. She certainly hadn't. Neither did Moriko.

The sorceress tuned back in, the girl's parent's voice echoing in the still church as he looked down at his daughter's sleeping face, a single tear running down his aged face.

"...our dear daughter has slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of the Gods. She leaves a huge emptiness in the hearts of all of us who loved her, many who were her friends, and even more who just had a glimmer of her through our family" he sniffled, pulling out a tissue and blowing his nose before stuffing it back into his sleeve "Moriko performed her duty as a sorceress with pride and attention, she was a kind soul willing to lay down her life in order to save others. Her loss..."

The words lost themselves, echoing against the ostentatious walls of the church while Mikazuki stared straight ahead. She could feel her heart pounding her chest, the memories of Keisuke's funeral flashing in her mind. The sorceress gulped, clutching the railing before quietly stepping out. She couldn't bear it. Mikazuki pushed the heavy oak doors, stepping into the quiet street and letting out a breath of relief as the sun shone on her face. She stepped away from the building, her heels clacking against the cobblestones while she surveyed the area.

The parking lot was devoid of any life, a small dais built around the square with a lantern already lit to perform the ceremony. She stared at the flame, watching as it crumbled before igniting again, the sweet summer air slowly pushing through the scenery. Mikazuki could breathe better here, with no one to witness her panic but the birds perched on the walls. She was safe – or at least as safe as she could be while being hunted by The Magistrate.

Mikazuki looked down, fiddling with the hem of her dress before the tip of her Eternity felt a new presence. The woman looked up, lips turning into a thin line as she watched the lesser Gojo step into the town's square. Satoshi moved slowly, stepping across the cobblestones with a half-empty bottle of liquor in his hand. He was well-dressed, wearing all black aside for his tie which was a soft shade of grey. The man stopped in front of the sorceress, slouching as the stench of alcohol lifted in the air.

He'd been drinking – for how long? She couldn't tell, yet she could clearly see the look in his eyes, the blue of his irises a mere shadow compared to that of his brother's.

"Have you come here to gloat?" Satoshi asked, flailing the bottle around as he pointed right at Mikazuki.

The sorceress didn't answer, taking in the bottle of alcohol and his dishevelled appearance. Satoshi was clearly out of his mind, showing up to a funeral in such a state. If she were a decent person, she would have pushed him back into her car and drove him all the way back to the Gojo House so he could sleep it off in the privacy of his own home – but Mikazuki had never been decent in the first place, which is why instead she pulled out a cigarette from her bra, pulling at the gold in her veins to light the flame.

Satoshi watched her, anger flaring at the nonchalant attitude. He truly looked like a child. Behaved like one, too.

"To witness the crimes you've committed?" he snarled, motioning to the church with one hand while he tumbled sideways.

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

Satoshi laughed bitterly, almost as if he'd expected that exact reaction. Maybe he had. The sorceress held his gaze, the gold in her eyes stirring as the Cursed Energy boiled in her blood. She could feel the power bubbling in her veins, yet she held herself back, taking a deep breath while she continued to eye Satoshi.