Shukumei 宿命 ⋮ Sukuna Ryomen

Chapter 5

Was that her voice giggling just now?

Sukuna's hands go to his hair and he pulls at it. There's a piercing chill that runs down his spine and a pain in his head that renders him almost immobile. He could barely think, barely move or speak. All his noisy groaning is incomprehensible and he tries to gather himself. The curse drowns in a myriad of flashbacks invading the deepest parts of his mind and his forgotten emotions have full power over him.

"Smile will you?"

He throws his head back and his voice roars for miles. The grip on his hair tightens, "AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! GET OUTOF MY HEAD!!!! GETOUT! GET OUT!!! GETOUTTTTTTTT!!!!!!"

Across the forest, Yuta gets to his feet. He hears a bellowing voice from a distance and he makes haste towards it.

"Rika! Come!"

"YUTA!YUTAAA!!!I LOVEYOU! ILOVEYOU!! I LOVE YOUUUUUUU!!!!!!!"

Sukuna's breathing quickens; it's heavy and uneven. The curse regains mental control. He drops his arms and he crawls over to your body which had collapsed to the ground. The man cradles you in his arm. He grabs your face with a hand and studies your features carefully. His eyes search for any similarities.

"Don't you remember me?" He speaks to your sleeping figure and his hand tightens around your cheeks which continue to lose color, "You fucking brat."

The man feels all your dead weight against him and his impending tears will tell a certain sadness that his mouth will never speak. Sukuna shoves his face into your hair and he inhales deeply. Pheromone's, it's a fragrance that belongs only to you and he finds great pleasure in this specific scent that brings him nostalgia. This smell, is definitely hers—yours.

Yuta's sword breaks the curse out of his reverie. But the high-carbon steel slams into the earth instead. Sukuna had moved you both several feet away in less than a second to spare. He sets you down and Yuta tries his best to maintain composure—it's extremely difficult. Okkotsu Yuta could not hide the sudden dread that wreathed his eyes when his gaze reached you; the very person who stuck by his side almost every single day. The person who listened to all his insecurities and doubts. The person who helped him overcome his fears and bettered him in ways he couldn't do so himself. He wonders if he's a little too late to save you and it shatters his heart. Regardless, he'll do what he absolutely needs to do, in order to take you home with him.

"Give her back to me....." Yuta's voice almost trembles but not because he's frightened, but because he's enraged. His grip on the tsuka is so tight, it turns his knuckles white.

"Come and get her yourself." The curse smirks and then he grows angry. The damn jujutsu sorcerer had to come and ruin his period of reflection. Sukuna's voice drops an octave and he's quite serious, "If you can."

And then it begins again.

Only seven consumed fingers. Only seven to give the curse this much power. Yuta couldn't imagine what Sukuna Ryomen would be capable of if he manages to get ahold on the other thirteen.

The edge of the blade goes to the curses hand. The limb slices off. Sukuna regenerates and he's propelling through the air once more.

"Give up!" Sukuna shouts as he soars through the beaten forest, "You thoroughly annoying brat!"

"I'LL NEVER BACK DOWN!" Yuta swings his katana which the curse deflects, "NO MATTER HOW TOUGH THE SITUATION GETS!"

"You humans are such interesting creatures." He chuckles with delight, "I'll never tire of watching your struggles!!"

The King Curse sends Rika back to her celestial home with one powerful blow and Yuta gets knocked to the ground shortly after. His vision blurs from the sudden impact.

Yuta wasn't sure if you were dead or alive but one thing he did know is the fact that he's quite perplexed by what he saw earlier. It almost seemed like the curse himself was embracing you. His emotions were haywire and he wasn't sure what he was feeling at the time; he ran off instinct. If the man remembered correctly, he didn't sense any ill-intentions when he arrived.

If Sukuna kept this up you'd likely bleed to death where you are. The two could go on for hours. He had to make this quick but the special-grade sorcerer was a pain in the ass and very difficult to ward off.

Yuta gets to his feet. He had to get to his feet. He had to keep going. He'll never let anyone underestimate him. He'll continue to prove them wrong, each and every time. When things get tough, he'll remember why he started in the first place. And he had you to thank for that.

It didn't take long for the guy to get pummeled to the floor again. The special-grade sorcerer groans with much discomfort.

Sukuna warps and he now towers over your body. Yuta gets to his feet again; much slower this time.

The curse stares at your body in its unconscious state, with unwavering attention.

Yuta thinks the worst. It would be too hard for him to fight the damn thing and have to worry about you at the same time. He panics, "(Y/n)!"

Yuta sprints towards you. He doesn't care if he almost tripped on the way. He'll continue to protect those who are important to him, no matter what. The man swings his sword up to his eye line. He jumps through the air. He swings his sword—

Sukuna Ryomen ignores the approaching danger. His markings begin to fade. The curse takes one long, last look at you before he drops to his knees and onto the floor—as Itadori Yuji.

—and it trims the tips of the pink hair.