The Strongest | ɢᴏᴊᴏ ꜱᴀᴛᴏʀᴜ

Chapter 21

Fighting cursed spirits really is my passion. Every mission I'm sent on proves it to me time and time again. Same with this one. I clear one room after the other, and it's an easy feat since the spirits are all lower-grade. But it's exhausting nonetheless; running around and fighting, even with jujutsu.

I don't know what Gojo's doing right now, but I can't be concerned with that. He can most certainly take care of himself, but I'd just like to know if he has exorcized more curses than me already. Call me competitive, or maybe it's just a superiority complex, but I want to beat him this time. For once, I want to come out on top, which is why I'm searching even harder for those kids, and I'm not leaving a single curse alive on my way.

Finally, in a bathroom on the third floor, I find two of the children conscious and seemingly okay. The third boy is unconscious (I hope) and has been affected by a curse. His skin around his ankles and wrists is turning an unnatural green. The boys sit cowered together on the floor, the two wrapping their arms around each other and around their friend who's lying in their laps.

There are five curses hovering right above them, and it seems as if they're guarding the children, but I know that it's not true. Before I can get to them, I'm attacked by three more curses from the side, but I'm quick to take care of them. The boys scream and cry, and their voices make me stronger. I want to protect them. They can't see what's going on, and they don't know why this is happening to them.

"Gojo!" I scream at the top of my lungs and slam my knife into one of the curses. "Gojo!"

He needs to get the kids out of here. They need to get out, but I know they can't on their own. I won't let them. However, I shouldn't have expected them to know that. They don't know what I'm thinking or even who Gojo or I are. For all they know, we could be the ones doing this to them. So, while I'm distracted with a disgusting curse with a huge mouth coming at me, one of the boys gets to his feet.

From the corner of my eye, I can see him move, and my heart stops. "No!" I shout, but it's too late. One of the curses from above them touches the floor and wraps its skinny arms around the boy's wrists and ankles. He starts to cry again, and screams fill the room.

I exorcize the curse attacking me and run towards the boy, who's still conscious but just barely. I tear the curse off of him and exorcize that one, too. Gojo's cursed energy fills the room, and he makes quick work of the rest of the curses in here.

He slides next to me as I'm already on my knees, holding the just injured boy in my arms. "What's your name?" I ask the one still healthy.

His entire body is shaking, and it makes my heart clench. Nobody should go through something like this, and definitely not at such a young age. For me, it was different. I was born a sorcerer, I'm from a whole clan of sorcerers, and this is the world I live in. But they... they're just normal children.

"I- I'm Haruki," the boy finally answers, which I take as a good sign.

I smile widely and try to gain his trust. "Hello, Haruki. I'm (y/n). This is Satoru." I point at Gojo. "What are your friends called?"

"You're holding Ren," Haruki tells me, his eyes fixed on my face so he doesn't have to see his friend suffer like that. "And this is Kenji." His hand finds his other friend, who Gojo is already looking after.

"Well, Haruki, you're a very brave boy," I say in a soft voice. "We're going to get you out of here, okay?"

The boy nods, but he's not moving, and I don't blame him. I would be petrified, too, if I had been through what he's just been through. Gojo sweeps Kenji up in his arms and stands up. I look at Ren in my lap and brush his hair out of his face, which is getting more pale by the minute.

"Can you walk?" I ask Haruki because I don't think I can carry one of them, let alone both.

He nods again, wordlessly, and struggles to his feet. It takes him a moment to really stand, his hand clinging to the wall for stability. I get up last, and Gojo holds me until I gain balance with Ren in my arms. He's still breathing and still conscious, blinking up at me. He reminds me of me just a few days ago.

Gojo leads the way downstairs and out of the school, and Haruki follows. I'm the last, and I make sure the boys in front of me are okay. All of them. The curtain falls as Gojo and me step through it, and we're standing on the sidewalk in front of the school. There's not much traffic, even for a Monday at noon.

With one arm holding the child against his chest, Gojo fumbles for his phone and calls Ijichi. While we wait, Gojo does his best to heal the two injured boys. Haruki only clings to my side and shivers. Ijichi will bring them to the hospital and take care of the rest. Their parents will be there, too.

It doesn't take much more than five minutes for the black car to arrive and Ijichi to step out. Gojo puts Kenji on the backseat and then takes Ren from me to do the same. Even though I told Haruki he could get in, too, he's not moving.

"Are we going to get in trouble?" he asks me, making Gojo and me look at him.

"For what?" I ask.

"Because we broke into the school. We're not even old enough to go there yet."

I have to smile, and I lean down to him. "No, you're not in trouble. Everyone is just glad you're okay."

He lets out a relieved breath, and I think there's even a smile on his lips as he thanks me and Gojo and gets into the car with his friends.

Ijichi closes the door behind him, then turns to us. "The principal asked me to tell you again to do your best while you still can," he warns us.

Gojo and I only roll our eyes, but neither of us says anything. I think we're both too exhausted to lie right now. Or maybe it's...

As the black car drives off, I know that it's definitely not exhaustion that I can feel inside of myself. It seems to overcome us both in the same second, and there's no chance either of us can fight it.

Our bodies slam together, and our lips follow. He's so much taller than me that I have to get on my tiptoes to reach his lips even though he's already bending down to me. This is exactly how I imagined it. His lips are soft and demanding, and his tongue is doing things I can't even describe.

Even though I don't really want to leave his lips, I can't help it. I press kisses along his jawline. As I kiss his neck, Gojo tilts his head back and starts to whisper, "Emerge from darkness..."

A grin spreads across my lips. "What are you doing?" I ask against his neck.

"Purify that which is impure," Gojo finishes. "I'm giving us some privacy."