Of Curses And Demons

Chapter 14

Kagome's heart pounded against her chest as she and Megumi ran through the cursed building, seeking a way out. The bone-chilling screams of cursed spirits echoed in her ears as they darted past twisted corridors and ghostly apparitions.

They came upon a slanted hallway; it plummeted straight down. Without hesitation, Kagome followed Megumi's lead and jumped. His hands took on the shadowgraphy of wings, and from his shadow emerged a giant shikigami. It had bright orange feathers and a bone-like mask for a face with human teeth. Nue swoops down to grab Megumi and Kagome by their jacket backs. Megumi tightly grips Kagome's hand as they plummet toward the ground. The wind whips through their hair, making it feel like they were in free fall, until Nue's wings spread wide, gliding them to a safe landing.

As soon as their feet touch the ground, Nue disappears back into Megumi's shadow, and Megumi wastes no time summoning his black Divine Dog.

They continue running.

"Can you sense Nobara?" Megumi shouts.

Kagome nods and takes the lead.

Megumi and Kagome run as fast as they can through the halls of the cursed building, following the faint feeling of Nobara's juryoku and reiki. Turning a corner, they find her surrounded by jurei, desperately trying to fend them off. Her discarded hammer lay broken in half at their feet.

Kagome acted on instinct and shot an arrow; it glowed hotly with her reiryoku, zipping across the room and slicing through each of the curses before implanting itself in the one holding Nobara.

They each let out a harrowing shriek, their bodies exploding in a burst of blackness.

Before Nobara could hit the ground, Megumi had summoned another of his shikigami, this one a giant frog that caught Nobara with its tongue and pulled her into its mouth.

They're running again, racing after the wolfish shikigami as it leads them to the exit.

As they finally make it outside the detention center, Kagome's heart is pounding, desperately trying to catch her breath. She watches as the divine dog howls and feels a chill run down her spine. It was a long, mournful howl that echoed through the open space. Kagome could feel her heart breaking at the sound of it.

Megumi hurries to help Kiyotaka get Nobara in the car before requesting the older man to immediately send for a Grade 1 sorcerer and that he and Kagome will stay behind to watch over Yuji.

"You should have gone with him," Kagome whispered. Around them, the air shifts. The cursed womb's Innate Domain has disappeared, and in its place, Sukuna's juryoku raged.

As they waited, Kagome couldn't help but worry about the consequences of their actions. The cursed womb might have been dealt with, but now Sukuna had been released, the situation was precarious, and any misstep could prove to be fatal.

Silently she hoped and prayed that Yuji could retake control.

"He ain't coming back."

Kagome spun, and behind her stood none other than Sukuna. Yuji's hair was spikier with Sukuna's signature black markings and glowing red eyes.

"I'm in a good mood, so let's talk," Sukuna grinned. "It appears the brat is having a difficult time reclaiming his body. Must be a side effect of him using me without restrictions."

Kagome trembled as Sukuna's wicked smile stretched across Yuji's face. As each second ticked by, Yuji's body grew more menacing- more like Sukuna. The muscles becoming more pronounced, the canines sharpening into points, his power near suffocating.

"I've been pondering my next move," he spoke, pulling the uniform top off Yuji to reveal his cursed marks: two lines on his wrists and upper arms, circles on his shoulders with a single dot in each, a two-segmented curved line on his chest and two lines on his stomach.

"So I've been thinking," Sukuna growled, his hand piercing his chest. "I'm taking him as a hostage." Blood oozed down the new hole in his chest, and in his blood-coated claws was Yuji's still beating heart. He raised his hand as if to offer it to them with a bloody demonic grin. "I may be able to survive without this," he continued, throwing the organ to the ground. "But he can't!"

"Switching now would mean his death," Sukuna was grinning, so sure of himself that he pulled out one of his mummified fingers. "And just to be sure he doesn't interrupt us," he swallowed it.

Sukuna's power pulsed, and Kagome could feel it everywhere.

"Now I think I might kill ya," he shrugged. "Nothing personal."

Pushing back her tears, Kagome stepped in front of Megumi. She was visibly tense, her grip on her bow tightening. She could feel Megumi's gaze on her back, but she refused to back down. "You won't lay a finger on him," she said, her voice hard.

Sukuna chuckled. "Such bravery," he said. "But you forget something, little miko. I hold Yuji's life in my hands."

Kagome clenched her teeth. She hated feeling powerless, but there was nothing she could do as long as Yuji was his hostage. "What do you want?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Sukuna leaned in, his eyes glinting with malice. "Just some entertainment," he said. "You know, I've been trapped in that brat's body for far too long. I think it's time I let loose a little."

Megumi stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "And what do you plan on doing?" he asked.

Sukuna shrugged. "Maybe I'll kill you, maybe I won't. It's all up to how bored I am." He glanced at Kagome again. "But if you want to plead for your friend's life, I won't stop you."

Kagome felt her blood boil. She hated being toyed with like this, but she knew she had to stay calm. "I won't plead for anything," she said, her voice shaking only slightly. "But I won't let you hurt anyone."

Sukuna laughed. "We'll see about that," he said, his hand hovering over Yuji's chest. "What organ should I remove next?"

Kagome knew she had to act fast. With a quick motion, she aimed her bow at Sukuna. "Enough," she hissed.

"Such spirit," he said. "I like that. Show me more, miko."

"Yuji is my friend, as is Megumi," Kagome tells him with a low hiss.

"Fine," he rolled his eyes. "I'll try not to kill him then," Sukuna grinned.

Kagome felt herself prickle with panic. Sukuna had made a pact with her: "You need only tell me what I want to know when I ask. And I will do the same, and of course, I won't kill your friends or family." Did he intend to break it?

"Time to have some fun," Sukuna eyes Megumi and Kagome.

Despite her desire to protect Yuji, Kagome fires her arrow.