Disclaimer: mentions of violence, death, manga spoilers
Author's note: the following chapters including this will serve as a series of flashback that builds up to the events from the previous chapter
Almost 20 years ago
3:33 AM
Everyone in the hospital was panicking, running around preparing for the unexpected storm. Lights flickering in the left wing of the hospital where a pregnant women moaning in pain from the horrific labor she is experiencing. Alone in misery and no one to tend her made her wish for the child inside her to have never existed.
About half an hour has passed, she tightly held on the sheets of the hospital bed screaming in agony as the child inside her tear her insides apart. The lights continued to flicker a couple of times before finally dying. She was about to give in to the pain and give up until somebody arrived.
Anzu who was visiting her sickly father passed through the pregnant women's room and noticing what was happening she was quick to tend to her aid. "I-I don't know...I-I don't know how to do this!" She squirmed and held the women's hands trying to recall birth scenes she saw on television though inaccurate, it was the only thing she thought.
"O-Oh! Breathe... Yes Breathe! Inhale exhale!" She guided the women's breathing by demonstrating deep inhales and exhales she copied from a sitcom she watched.
The thunder storm along with the pregnant lady's screams almost harmonized perfectly. As she screamed her soul out a heavy thunder comes down from the heavens releasing a loud bang. The storm was approaching the hospital, the strong winds penetrated the unsecured window of the room making tiny glass shards fly over to their direction.
Anzu's heart beated faster, "S-Shit! O-okay ignore that! Push!"
In the hospital hallways a tall muscular man with a visible vertical scar on his lip's right corner wandered. Walking back and forth repeatedly for the past hour. He furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his jaw not being able to answer the question boggling his mind repeatedly 'What is drawing me here?' He was aware of his child being pushed out by a cruel woman he slept a couple times but he didn't care about that. He barely even remembered her name.
There was something else, something off about the whole situation.
Born without cursed energy yet he could sense something peculiar.
"I can't do this." She whispered to Anzu, aware that her body was failing her. She wasn't motivated to fight anymore, she loathed the little thing destroying her insides. With every fiber of her being she cursed her unborn child, In her mind, spite and hatred resonated towards the unwanted unborn being. At the first place she never even wanted the this child, for her it was a impediment that ruined everything for her, if she had the guts to kill it with her owns hands she did.
Anzu's eyes widened, "Wh-wha—? No! Please j-just one more push!" squeezing her palm and the pregnant lady gave her a weak smile before pushing one last time.
4:42 AM
Anzu held the baby she helped deliver tightly on her arms protectively, crying seeing the lifeless body of the mother in front of them. The storm calmed down and the lights were finally restored. She was still in shock and overwhelmed, questioning herself if there's something more she could've done to save the newborn's mother. This was something she didn't expect to happen to her, the burden of someone dying in her watch was too much.
Finally, she looks down on the baby she was holding and tears was flowing harder seeing the ethereal being in her arms with ravishing emerald eyes. She was lost in tranquility seeing a being almost so divine and forgetting what she just went through.
She was at isolated in peace—well for a moment she was.
Toji Zenin entered the room and immediately grabbed his daughter from Anzu's arm and before she could react Toji's eyes caught her off guard. It was identical to the baby's eyes except Toji's eyes incited terror petrifying her.
"A-are you the fa—" before Anzu could finish the sentence Toji has left the room holding his daughter in his arms.
The room where Anzu sat down dumbfounded, was later on flooded by the hospital staff trying to resuscitate the lifeless body of the newborn's mother but unfortunately it was too late. As Toji left the hospital he finally looked down on the small being in his arms who comfortably snuggled in his warmth.
She never cried
He thought to himself. He felt creeped out from the odd behavior she displayed. He was aware of the overflowing cursed energy she radiated, it was overwhelming but not suppressing. His hand was about to approach the baby's face to wipe residue blood off her cheeks, yet when her tiny little hand held his calloused finger. A million scenarios that haven't happened yet flashed in Toji's mind, and finally the little cursed energy that she emanated reduced to almost none.
She was the peculiarity that shouldn't have happen.
"Kazui." He whispered to himself.
Toji is an exile of the Zenin clan. He started working independently as a private hire to execute sorcerers. The pay for his job is great but due to his habit of gambling he is often left broke and crashes from time to time with his daughter over at the places of the parade of women he sleeps with when he's kicked out of his apartment. Oftentimes he leaves her with his consorts while he's away for a job.
As a child she was seen as heaven sent because she was not the kind that screams in the crack of down or the type of child that required so much attention. She falls asleep easily not needing to be danced around, tucked in, sang to or be read a story. Basically it was feed her, change her and she's good for the day which was convenient for anybody that took care of her. Despite these traits it creeped the hell out of Toji because despite not having that much knowledge about infants, he was aware that it wasn't normal.
As time progressed, Toji's job becomes more time consuming and demanding forcing him to feeling he needed to be more reliable for her daughter. He finally got his own an apartment and settling down with one women who would eventually bear his future son. It was perfect, Toji became calmer around her and there was content having to come home to an actual home with her daughter and this incredible kind woman who he genuinely cared for.
For a while they assumed that Kazui was a mute because she didn't speak until she reached the age of three uttering her first word , 'Ottousan'
When she was about to turn four, Megumi was born but unfortunately his mother died, causing Toji to slowly go back to his old ways until he meets another women, marries her in a jiff and leaving her with Megumi just as quickly. And for whatever reason unknown to all, Toji only bought one child, his daughter, when he decided to leave.
Toji was critical raising his daughter but it didn't bother her, she was genuinely kind and obedient as long as it was within her moral compass. She didn't have hatred for anything or anyone not even to Toji even after being aware of his field of work. She was the kind that have compassion for everything which irritated Toji but he considered her tough despite her gentle and soft inclination.
"Be aware of your stance and control your breathing." Toji observed how quickly she moves trying to land a punch. He dodged it without ease and smiled playfully.
"Do better." He told the 7 year old girl who was on a defensive stance with her clenched fists up eager to defeat his father in training.
She was calculating just like him, trying to find an opening. She could use her cursed technique but she was eager not to cheat her way and rely on her abilities.
She tried to strike Toji's side but he was quick to catch her leg mid kick.
They could go on for hours and she would stumble countless of time but she always stands back up and tries again. Toji was also not the kind that coddles and back down from a challenge, even if the sun was starting to set and she was all bruised up and had cuts from failing he doesn't let her land an attack just to get it over with. He wanted her to be persistent and be resilient knowing he's not going to be around forever.
The world is cruel and he knows it.
Toji helped her daughter to find her way around weapons and combat training. He was proud to see a uncorrupted little him before his eyes. He recognizes her natural talent but doesn't completely disregard her cursed one no matter how much it reminds him of the torment he experienced from the Zenin clan.
For a child her age, Kazui took care of herself when Toji was away, sometimes his colleague who assigns him jobs visits her to tell her Toji will be away for a few more days even months and just hand her cash he secretly took off Toji's salary to help her support herself. The select people who got to know Toji knows his repugnant gambling habit when in between gigs.
"Huh?" She looks over to the stacks of cash placed in her hand and immediately got flustered.
"Y-Yah Senpai! I don't need this much!" Toji's colleague and Kazui spent a good few minutes passing the money back to each other like it was hot coal.
"Ah please Kazui-san accept the money!" He bowed down deeply leaving her shocked.
"Bu—" He took the chance to ran out of the door before another game of pass the money begins.
I really don't need this much...
She frequently thought to herself. She usually grabs just enough to get through the month and hide the money back in Toji's room or even put up aside some for their rent payment because her father never remembers to do so. She was already grateful being raised with a roof over her head, receiving education and enough meals for her never experience starvation.
They didn't live in extravagance, but she was content with their life.
She was aware of Megumi's existence by Toji's manager accidentally asking about him to Toji in one of their trips to the race course where Toji spends a good amount to gamble on horses,
Number 6, Hatano, Finishes in First, Followed by Number 1, Doguchi!
The announcer announched.
He frustratedly crumpled the ticket in his fists, "Going for a quick buck doesn't suit you." His colleague said from behind them. It was true but it wasn't about the money for Toji, it was about the euphoria from winning.
"I'm counting on you Sorcerer Killer." He said to Toji. She was well aware of this, but she sat quietly besides Toji, casually listening to their conversation.
Before leaving his colleague turns back to ask Toji another question, "Oh Right.... How's Megumi?"
The name resonated on Kazui's mind repeatedly before a vague memory of living together with a kind women briefly flashed in her head
Megumi...
Toji crossed his leg and rested his head in his right palm and gave his colleague an apathetic look,
"Who's that again?"