Cursed || Gojo Satoru x Reader

XXIII. Strength

POV: (Y/N)

My body is electric. I can feel the rush of cursed energy roaring through my veins, flames burning as we compete for control. I'm not sure how much longer my flesh will hold- or if a human could even withstand this internal battle between special grades.

They say that a battle between two special grades could tear a city apart. Destruction and ruin would level the ground and pull buildings to the earth. Dust and debris will rise to swallow the flesh and bone and blood that litter throughout the land. There are no winners in such a battle.

Still, I must prevail.

Through my distant eyes I can see him, bloodied and battered. His chest heaves with every sharp intake of breath. Darkness clouds his eyes, and still he is relentless in his attacks. But my hands will only release sharper strikes and swifter blades, each poised to kill in a clean blow.

The defilement of my body makes me feel ill. There is a curse whose soul lingers in my being, and his presence only fuels my anger. But anger is a weapon that can be wielded if it yields to the control of its master. My cursed energy manipulates these energies and condenses my thoughts to create more forceful attacks.

Gojo leaps through the trees, flickering in and out of view but at a pace where my weakened self can still follow. His counterattacks are sluggish, each gradually becoming slower. There is a lack of determination, of intent, in his movement. I know he does not have the strength to carry through. Neither do I, but I do as I must. Victory is dependent on me, and me alone.

The cruel nature of the world only reveals cold truths. I was made to exorcise, even if the curse lies within my bones. I can protect others, if it means laying down my life- the life of a sinner. What difference is one life in a world of billions?

But I know my words are lies. I preach false truths, words twisted by those who came before me. The songs of glory that I sing mask the resentment and wretchedness that I mask within. Death leaves a bitter taste on my tongue, even if it is poison that I must swallow.

What would it be like to be in hell? That is the only fate that is destined for me. Would I wander about in an empty darkness, subjected to loneliness for eternity? It would be no different from the life I had once led. Now, I must chain myself to such a fate, with no choice but to succumb to the netherworld before me.

If we had more time, things might have been different.

But that is not true. Even among mortals I was brilliant, brought into life with an innate power that filthy bodies of human flesh could not witness. The heavens had crafted me with their divinity, made to walk the earth in power with him. Ambition and greed led jujutsu sorcerers, their desires far more vast than the gilded skies and hollowed ground. But I was made to judge- I determined sinners and saints.

The words of our clans pulled us apart, and the hissing of curses brought us together. Malicious forces brought us together, and between both of our evils we found balance. If we had more time, the destruction would have been worse. Our passion and my blood would have only burned into brighter flames.

It is too late now, but I will find him again. If it takes one or one million more lives, our souls will still recall each other's embrace. For I am you, and you are me. You were my darkness, you were my light. You were the better part of me, and you were the lesser part of me. But from now until the end of time, we are together, you and I.

His eyes are a blue that I have never seen. It is the color of the holiest water, a shade so pure it could have only been made blessed by the hands of the divine. But it is also so true, like the majesty of the waves that swell along the seas, stretching farther than the eye can see. His eyes speak the truth, and I know that Six Eyes has seen. When I once had determined for myself those who sinned and those who were saints, Gojo Satoru learned to discern the very same traits in my own soul.

I watch closely, my vision broadening as he leaps into the air, his hands clapping together as cursed energy ripples between us. Even from a distance, I understand that this blow will ensue destruction. But Sukuna reaches deep into my cursed energy and holds my hands up in a defensive position.

As though the earth could hear and understand, the magnetic force of our energy clashes and electrifies. Thunderclouds swell in from the corners of the sky, illuminating the forest with lightning and drowning our debris with rain. The world is singing a hymn to the strong, and only fate will determine who will remain standing.

Gojo's eyes are determined. He looks into mine and I know that he sees me. My skin is light underneath the kisses of the rain, my body is rejuvenated by the energy from the skies.

And as we prepare for the end, I let my fingers weave through the air and find Void in the stretches of infinite matter. A purple light cascades from above, as though a final judgement was about to be delivered to the mortals below. But I see no humans beneath my feet. There is no one in the world except for me and him.

So we deliver our final blows, the strongest attacks we have ever unleashed as the world burns to the ground.

Author's note: Hope you liked this week's chapter! As always, please like and comment if you did ;) Can't wait to see how you react to the ending!
~H