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R E N A S C E N C E .
"The beauty of witnessing a new dawn is truly breathtaking."
──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────
"Y/N, jump on!" You immediately hopped on Yuuji's back, giving him an encouraging pat on the chest. He shot a firm nod your way before jumping out of the school—
He did what now?! Shit, is this the end for me?!
You cried dramatically, banging your head against Yuuji's shoulder in tiny hopes that this was all an awful dream you would be able to snap out of if you just believed hard enough. Air flung past your face though, the strong winds that threatened to blow your hoodie off slapping you with the fact that this was a reality. At the realisation, you desperately clung even tighter to the boy while yanking your hood over your features.
He's gonna land on that thing! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!
You squeezed your eyes shut tightly as you fell rapidly towards the monster, afraid of what would happen to you and Yuuji.
WHACK!
You jolted upon hearing the abrupt impact, bafflement sparking in your eyes. The curse that you had ended up on now laid squirming on the ground. Yuuji swung at the curse again before he jumped back, landing beside Fushiguro and promptly placing you down. You crouched down to the immobile black-haired teen with a concerned gaze. You tapped on his shoulder gently; you didn't want to injure the male any further than he already was in his critical condition.
'You okay? That was a pretty bad punch you took there.'
"I thought I told you to run..." Fushiguro coughed out. You scoffed at the male's idiotic words, lightly tapping his nose with your pencil.
'And have you get thrown out of another building? Yeah no, we're staying.'
"Are you kidding?! I'd have nightmares if I left this place right now! Besides," Yuuji looked straight ahead at the monster. A moment of reminiscence flickered through his mocha irises, steeling his body with resolve. The boy readied himself in a lax yet tough stance, his hand pulled back. "I've actually got quite the curse myself."
Yuuji immediately charged at it, launching punch after punch at the horrendous creature. You gaped, only being able to watch idly as he fought the beast, too weak to do anything more. You glanced at Fushiguro who's forehead was painted and dripping with crimson. A lump of terror formed in your throat, your head spinning from the awful colour that haunted your vision. You gulped down the fear that clawed at your gut. You gripped the male's shoulder as though you were shoving your distressing emotions onto him. Fushiguro flinched at the contact, gritting his teeth. You were almost crushing his shoulder with the amount of pressure you were placing on it, but you paid no attention to his reaction. You proceeded to pull out a small handkerchief.
'Stay still.'
Fushiguro cocked his head to the side. "What for–" You leaned in, cutting off his train of thought. You rubbed off all the blood streaming down his nose before you placed the napkin in his hands afterwards. With a new clean face, the boy gawked at you, an awkward huff escaping his lips. He cleared his throat. His gaze was focused on the fabric that rested on his fingers, the fleeting warmth from your touch embued in it making him slightly flustered. "Thank you," he mumbled, a rosy hue dusting his cheeks. You sighed with a smile, giving him a light pat on the back as a 'you're welcome'.
Suddenly, a loud crash thundered in the area. You looked around frantically before you caught sight of your best friend, slammed against a wall. Shit, the monster must've got him good.
Fushiguro clenched his fists. Shoving the handkerchief into his pocket, he slowly pulled himself up. His abdomen achingly pleaded for him to sit back down, but he only clutched his stomach to stop its pressure from rushing to his head. "I told you to run away..." Fushiguro murmured, hacking up a splat of blood. After wiping the crimson liquid from his lips, he painstakingly staggered forward. "A curse can only be exorcised by other curses; someone without cursed energy, like you, would only be getting in the way." Yuuji only got back up, still determined to beat the monster. You stared back at it, noticing how the creature seemed fixated on the finger your friend was holding.
'Hey Porcupine, why is the curse targeting that nasty finger?'
"Porcupine? What–" You jabbed him with your pencil, making him flinch. "The curse plans on getting stronger cursed energy by eating it." Yuuji furrowed his bros at the special grade cursed object in his possession.
"So there is a way to save everyone..."
No, he is not about to do what I think he's about to do–
The male dangled the finger above his open mouth. The monster immediately rushed towards him, aggressively clawing for the item as Fushiguro stumbled forward to stop him.
"No, you idiot, don't!"
Yeah, listen to the dude! That shit is disgusting!
The finger fell inside.
You cringed as you heard Yuuji swallow that thing. Fushiguro stared at the teen, mortified, while you stared back at him with the same appalled expression.
'What the fuck are we gon' do now.'
You flipped to another page hastily.
'Okay, but what's gonna happen to him?!'
"That object's a lethal poison; he'll die for sure," Fushiguro answered, terror evident in his irises. "But there's also a one in a million chance that he could–"
He couldn't even finish his response because, within the blink of the eye, the monster had been shredded into pieces, its body disintegrating into thin air.
In its place stood Yuuji who began to cackle maniacally. His nails pierced out, shaped like sharp daggers, as they ran through his hair, slicking it back. Tattoos then dashed up the boy's sleeves before covering his entire body. A pair of new eyes emerged beneath his original pairs, bulging out with bloodlust burning inside. The person grinned dementedly, pointed teeth glared in the moonlight, ready to consume everything in sight.
A deep chuckle slowly left the male. "Ah, I knew it! Light is best appreciated in the flesh," the new entity cheered, ripping off Yuuji's old hoodie to reveal black marks running up and down his chest.
God damn, is he hot—
"The special grade curse has been reincarnated..." Fushiguro muttered beside you in terror. He thrust an arm out in front of you, shielding your body behind his beat-up figure.
"A cursed spirit's flesh is no fun! Where are the people?! The women?!" You deadpanned at the male.
This dude just got resurrected and he's already worried about banging chicks? Wait, is he worried about eating them, or eating them out–
"What a wonderful age it has become! Women and children, spawning like maggots!" Okay, chick banging or not, this man clearly wasn't your best friend Itadori Yuuji, and you had a big problem with it.
You sidestepped Fushiguro, approaching the person who possessed who had possessed your friend with notepad and pencil in hand, ready for business.
"Y/N, what are you..."
"It'll be a massacre–" You tapped him on the shoulder.
"Huh?"
'Look, as much as I think you look so fucking hot, could you give my friend's body back, please?'
The person, who you presumed to be Sukuna now, shot you a befuddled look. He then smirked presumptuously, leaning in close to your masked face. "Oh, he's not coming back."
'I said please.'
You held up one finger before you flipped to another page and scribbled something in big, bold letters. You then showed it back to Sukuna, nodding proudly as you placed a friendly hand on his shoulder.
'Bro.'
"Why you little bastard–" Sukuna went to choke you, not that you would've minded, until a hand clasped his chin, stopping him in his tracks.
"What do you think you're doing? Give my body back!"
"Huh, how are you able to move?!" Sukuna fought back, Yuuji quickly gaining control once again while they bickered back and forth.
"Well, it is my body, you know..."
What... what the fuck is happening right now.
"Don't move," Fushiguro shouted suddenly, kneeling to the ground. "Under Jujutsu regulations, I will have to exorcise the curse that is now you, Itadori Yuuji!" You gawked at Fushiguro. You furiously responded in your notepad, running quickly towards the boy as you slammed your pencil against the paper.
'Ayo, chill!! That's still Yuuji!! Ya know, the dumb salmon guy, just with seaweed strips on! You can't kill him!"
"Wait, but it's really not a problem. More importantly, you and I need to go to a hospital; we're both pretty beat up," Yuuji suggested calmy, the tattoos fading from his body. Fushiguro glared at him, unsure of who he was speaking to right now—was it the monster or the human?
Bro, that's obviously Yuuji. What's Mr Tuna gonna do in a hospital? Bang the nurses? Oh wait, he would–
"What's the situation here?" You snapped your head towards the voice that echoed in the vicinity. A male with gravity-defying white hair had appeared beside Fushiguro, the man's hands casually chilling in his pockets as he held a shopping bag.
"Gojou-sensei! What are you doing here?"
What's with the blindfold...? I mean, he still highkey fine but what's up with that? Not like I can talk though since I literally hide my entire face...
While Fushiguro and Gojou began to discuss the special grade curse, you walked up to Yuuji before patting his arm.
'Hey, are you okay?'
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm all good! Just a little bruised up is all," he answered with a reassuring smile. You snarled, slapping the teen.
"Ow! What was that for?!" Yuuji rubbed his cheek with a whine, a red mark forming in the area.
'You know what! If we weren't best friends, I would have beat the shit out of you for doing such a disgusting thing! What made you think that was a good idea?!'
You proceeded to beat him up with your notepad as he cried out, "Wait! That hurts! Please stop it! I can't take another paper-pencil combo attack!"
"So... did you find it?" The two of you froze at the question. You smacked your friend one more time. "I'm sorry! It was me—I ate it!" The white-haired guy stared in disbelief. Fushiguro pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head in shame while you yanked on Yuuji's ear, giving the boy a firm noogie before letting him go.
"For real?"
"For real."
Gojou then waltzed up to Yuuji, closely examining his face. "Hm, you are right; they really did combine." The adult pulled back before asking, "how do you feel?"
"Okay..."
"Can you switch to Sukuna? The cursed object you ate?" Yuuji nodded; he didn't the task too much of a big deal to handle. "Ten seconds. Take back control after ten seconds." Your eyes widened. Sukuna threatened to start a whole massacre and this dude wanted him to come back out?! Was he insane?!
'I really don't think this is a good idea, old man??'
"Am I really that old? No, I can't be..." Gojou whispered to himself before grinning, giving you a nice pat on the head. He went to your eye level and, even with his blindfold on, it felt as though he was gazing into your soul. "There's no need to worry. After all, I am the strongest Jujutsu sorcerer."
As Yuuji began to change into Sukuna, Gojou started stretching, throwing his shopping bag at Fushiguro. "What's this?" The black-haired male asked as the two of you slightly peered inside of it.
"It's Kikufuku mochi, a Sendai speciality," the teacher explained cheerfully while the new Sukuna charged straight for him. "They're not souvenirs; they're for me to eat on the bullet train home!"
"Behind you!"
Gojou evaded the attack easily, his grin unwavering. "Now, if you don't mind, my student and a very special guest are watching so I'd like to show off a bit." He swiftly latched onto the arm of the curse before twisting it, giving Sukuna a brisk chop to the back of his neck. The monster groaned, falling to the floor.
Holy shit, so he's hot and strong?! I mean, sign me the fuck up!
"You jujutsu sorcerers are always such a pain in the ass, no matter what the era," Sukuna shouted angrily. He glanced around at his surroundings before his irises landed on your figure, a scowl growing on his features. He glared at you threateningly, his intense gaze making you awkwardly chuckle. You threw up a peace sign in response, posing as though the curse was taking a photo of you with how long he kept his eyes on you. "You! I haven't forgotten about what you've done, you disrespectful bastard!" You jumped back before wielding your pencil like a weapon.
'Was it because I bro-zoned you?! I'm sorry; we can be homies instead!'
"How dare you treat me like a peasant?!" Sukuna suddenly charged in your direction, making you stumble in fear. You slipped on your foot onto the floor underneath him as the curse flew over your head. Gojou then karate chopped his back, catching the monster off guard.
"8... 9... 10. Should be about time now." With his countdown, the dark prints on Yuuji's figure vanished as he resurfaced in his body. You heaved on the floor, clutching your heart that was pounding with adrenaline.
Sukuna was far too close to killing you for your liking.
"Oh, was everything okay," the pink-haired teen questioned. He rubbed the nape of his neck where he had previously been hit, unbeknownst to him. Yuuji then turned around, noticing you on the ground. "What are you doing down there, Y/N?" You shut your eyes, waving your hand side to side at your neck, not wanting to tell your best friend that the little guy chilling in his body had almost killed you. You held your hand out to him instead which Yuuji grabbed, yanking you forward. He had pulled you up too hard though because your head ended up slamming against his shoulder. You groaned, wincing as you rubbed your forehead.
'Dude, is your shoulder a rock or something?! That hurt!'
"Ah, I'm sorry, Y/N," the boy apologised profusely. He placed his fingers on your head to rub the sore spot as well, but you swatted his hand away with a hiss.
Gojou chuckled at the two of you, walking up to Yuuji with a grin. "So you really can control it!"
"Yeah, but he's really annoying," he huffed, itching his scalp.
"It's a miracle that's the only side effect he's giving you right now," the white-haired male informed him before he pressed his finger against Yuuji's forehead, effectively knocking him out. You gaped at your best friend in horror who now laid unconscious on Gojou's arm. You smacked the professor with your notepad, vexation evident in your crossed arms.
'Hey gramps, we got the memo that you were strong a minute ago! You didn't need to do that!'
"Shh, hush down, child. Let the ol' wise one handle this, okay?" You planted yourself on the ground next to Fushiguro with a huff. Gojou grinned at you, patting your head before glancing at the body he was holding. "If he wakes up and isn't possessed, he could potentially serve as a vessel for Sukuna."
The teacher focused his attention back on his student. "Now, a question for you, Fushiguro. What do we do with him?" You stared at the black-haired boy, anticipating what he would answer; you hoped he wouldn't say anything that would harm Yuuji.
"Under Jujutsu regulations, he should be executed, even if he serves as a potential vessel..." Fushiguro mumbled, his eyes falling to the floor.
Your heart dropped.
Yuuji, who had been your friend for four years, was going to being killed? You found it unfathomable; after all, Yuuji was such a good person that it seemed almost like a joke that anyone would want to end his life. Yet, the reality was that he had consumed that curse, the finger of a monster who had inflicted so much chaos and evil to the world centuries ago. It just was so unfair that despite his genuine character, fate had decided he should be the one that was executed in an act of saving others because his counterpart was classified as a threat to the planet.
Dread drenched you at the awful circumstance, guilt whirling in your stomach. You should've been the one to die; you should've been the one who never came into this world. You remembered the first time you had met the boy, how he had saved you from the cruel world's fate that it had encapsulated you in for all these years. The way he had introduced him as the first radiant light in your life, the way he had been the first person to ever show you gratitude—
He was the one who had given you life for the first time.
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The bottoms of your heels raged, the torment of fierce, rapid contact with the ground demolishing your legs. You silently cried out, yet wind only gushed past your figure, drowning out your shouts of anguish. Carmine liquid oozed from your lips as you coughed.
Pit. Pat.
The clock somehow was still ticking.
PIT. PAT.
You had to keep going, no matter what. Wherever you went, you had to keep going further.
PIT! PAT!
You grimaced in utter agony. You squeezed your eyes tight to temporarily ease the pain, even if it was for a fraction of a second. You had to focus all the energy in your heels; let them take you away. Even through dazed visions and screaming muscles, you needed to keep hearing those sounds.
PIT! PAT! PIT! PAT!
They were the only thing reminding you that your gears were still turning; you were still breathing.
SPLAT!
You suddenly stumbled forward before descending, charcoal blinding your vision. You kissed the ground, the sizzling cement grazing your sensitive skin. Dots of ruby dropped from your body slowly; you hacked up more of that same colour.
Red, red, red—it was everywhere, and you began to despise it.
You couldn't stop though; you had to keep going—you had to get away!
Slowly, you lifted an arm, picking up your torso. You collapsed once more, but your head stayed up. You gazed around, fields of emerald green blinding your vision. From the darkness underneath your hood, your hidden world, this new realm shone so brightly. Birds chirping, animals scurrying in trees, the sun beaming down warm rays on your distraught form—
It was all so peaceful, so perfect.
Your eyes began to droop down, your body slowly growing more numb.
Was this your time...?
"Hey!" A voice, presumably a young boy, called out. One filled with concern, something you were unfamiliar with. It felt warm and comforting, those words graciously floating around in your mind.
"Hey, are you okay?" The speech was so close. You glanced up, catching sight of a boy your age with pink hair and the most enchanting hazel eyes you'd ever seen. You couldn't even respond to him, too enthralled by his beauty to utter a response.
He stared at you, befuddled, before examining your carmine painted figure. "You're badly hurt! We need to get you to a hospital!" The child didn't hesitate to pick you up in his arms.
"T̸̛͈͍̬̝̈́̏́̌͐̄͘̚ḧ̶̡̞͕͎̼̹̣̗̺̈̋̚͜ȁ̶̟̩͖̹͇̑̾n̶̨̘̬̎̓̇̀̊͒k̴̮͍̤̈́̆̀͛̏̋͘͘͘͠ ̵̮̣̲̠͈̠̰̹̊y̸̮͍̪̠͎͉͆́͑̃͊o̶̢̦̓͒͛͊̕u̸͓͓̙͈̳͓̙͘.̷̢̛̖̝̝̘̮͒̄͑͜.̵̢̥͚̦͚͉̊̒͆̀̉͛̆̕.̴̧͇̠͓̟̤̋̊̆̀"
"Hey," He glanced down at you, shooting you a reassuring smile. "I'm Itadori Yuuji. You can tell me your name once we get you some help, okay?" You softly nodded, his uplifting nature infecting you as well. Your heart began to beat quickly.
Pitter! Patter!
Your time wasn't over yet; awaiting you was a life with an angel, a new friend, to help guide you through it.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
You couldn't let Yuuji die. The young boy still had goals, dreams, aspirations to fulfil; he had a life ahead of him where he could save others just like he once did the same for you. The beaming rays, the huge grins, the streams of serendipity he granted those around him—he held the capability to spark new beginnings of people who were once corrupted by the chaos of the daunting universe. It was vital for him to keep living, and you would do anything to let him continue living, even if it meant exchanging your own life in return.
You tapped Fushiguro's shoulder, your hands slightly shaking as you held up your small, janky notepad.
'Please, you guys can't kill him... He's a good person the kindest person I've met in my life.'
Fushiguro stared at you in shock. He then shook his head, tenderly grabbing your hand. "Don't worry, I won't let that happen," he whispered earnestly with a sympathetic smile.
Fushiguro then faced his teacher before responding, "Sensei, I don't want to let him die."
"Is this a personal opinion?"
"Yes, it is; please do something about it." You looked up at Gojou hopefully, tears pricking in your eyes.
'Please help my friend out; I'll do anything.'
He chuckled, tossing Yuuji over his shoulder. "Leave it to me to fulfil a precious student's request," the teacher cheered. He threw a thumbs up at you guys and, without a second's hesitation, disappeared with your friend in tow. With the duo gone, you turned towards the only other person in your vicinity, watching Fushiguro gaze off in the distance. You tugged on his sleeve.
'Will they be okay?'
Fushiguro glanced at you, softly sighing. "Yeah, I believe that they will be."
The two of you fell silent, gazing at the rubble that laid around your bodies—you were now buried in an enormous mess, rendered unable to escape from it.