Sukuna returned back to the village that same night with Seiren in his arms, not caring at all if anyone saw him. By going against the orders of the chief, he was casted away from the village. Not having other option than build a house on the outskirts, close to the Cursed Forest.
It had never been necessary for the unseen beast to consume two humans at once, only one sacrifice was enough to calm its hunger and fall into a slumber of twenty years.
Trusting that Yorozu had accepted her fate and entered the deepest part of the forest, he took care of the baby without hiding her away from the villagers. The thought of imprisoning her inside his house never crossed his mind.
None of this was necessary since no matter how much the villagers believed in the stories of his ancestors, they could not possible do anything. They could try getting rid off her, but most of them did not have the courage to do it and the rest were not cruel enough to take the life of a child with their own bare hands.
That's why Sukuna never feared for the life of Seiren, not even when ten years passed and the villagers reunited outside his house. It was no surprise to him. He probably could guess the reason of why they are here.
To choose Seiren as the next sacrifice for the beast once ten years has passed. This was confirmed when the chief approached Sukuna the moment he stepped outside and opened his mouth to speak.
"Regardless of the reason of why you came back with that cursed child is not important to us," he declared, not feeling sympathy for his granddaughter. "Once the unseen beast wakes up from its slumber of twenty years, she will be the next sacrifice."
It was to soon to choose the next offering, but everyone in the village had already accepted the chief's decision. To some villagers became even a relief that the baby was saved, since that meant that they could live for thirty years without worrying of becoming the next sacrifice.
Sukuna wasn't interested to speak with the chief. He already knew that this would be happening sooner or later. No matter when the elders will reveal such decision, at the end they would always choose Seiren for being different from any other child. For fearing the unknown. For not understanding the meaning of being born with butterflies.
Either way, he wasn't planning to stop or go against the chief. If the fate of Seiren is to become just simple food for the beast, then so be it. However, he doubts that would be happening. Being the child of the unseen, there's no way she would accept such fate or for the beast to accept such offering.
"Are you really sure that you want to offer your granddaughter as a sacrifice for the beast?" Sukuna finally spoke, his question picking the interest of the elderly and youngest men among the crowd.
The chief frowned, not only for being questioned by his decision but by hearing Sukuna referred as Seiren as his granddaughter. "For the sake of the village, my decision will not change nor even waver. That cursed child must become a sacrifice."
"Even if those actions enrages the beast?" Sukuna did not have the intention of changing the chief's mind or the rest of the villagers, but he couldn't help asking.
The old man wasn't a fool. He knew exactly why Sukuna was asking that question. Suspecting that Seiren could be the daughter of that unseen creature, offering her as sacrifice could enrage the beast. But no one except of him suspected that. The rest of the villagers believed that the child was cursed by a powerful, evil spirit that took the form of red butterflies. All because of his lies.
Such question confused the people of the crowd, starting to mutter among themselves.
What does he mean by that?
Why offering that child as a sacrifice would enrage the beast?
Does he wish to save the child?
Those were one of the few questions that left the villagers mouths. However no one doubted the chief, quickly falling into silence when he continued to speak.
"As long as it can calm its hunger, the unseen creature doesn't care if the sacrifice is a woman, a man or even a child," the chief's words were full of truth. "Plus, as long as human blood runs in their veins, the beast gladly will accept the offering. So it's impossible that the cursed child being the sacrifice will end up enraging it."
Without waiting for a response from the man in front of him, the old man turned around and started to walk away. Each one of the villagers followed him just right behind him, not muttering a single word to Sukuna either.
Actually no one cared about him or wished to know of the reason of why he and Seiren did not die ten years ago, only wanting for the misfortune that has fallen over the village to end. No matter the consequences that could follow right after, or how vile their actions would be seen in the eyes of a stranger.
When the villagers finally disappeared into the distance, the fusuma of the house was slide open. A girl of long, black hair stepped outside, making her presence being known. "Sukuna?"
The pink-haired man turned around by hearing his name, his eyes lading on Seiren's small figure. Just like the first time he saw her, red butterflies were fluttering around her.
"Why does it have to be me?" Her eyes were brimming with sadness, not understanding why the villagers had chosen her as an offering for the beast. She had heard everything the chief had spoken, and she understood every single word.
In order to have prevented the girl from entering the forest, Sukuna had told her how dangerous that place was. However, he not only spoke about the curses that lives there, but about the beast as well. Of how every twenty years it would wake up from its slumber, waiting for a sacrifice to calm its hunger in order to fall asleep again. And that ten years ago, her mother was the offering the villagers choose.
"That's why I told you to stay in your room," Sukuna reminded, but not caring either way. "If you heard what that old man had said, then you should know already the answer. He and the villagers believe that you are a cursed child. A cursed child that had brought misfortune to the village the moment you were born. But they are wrong, you're not a cursed child. You're the child of the unseen. The daughter of the Black Butterfly. That's why you don't need to fear the fate that awaits you, Seiren."
He kneeled down, wrapping his arms around the girl's body in a embrace. "I can assure that nothing would turn out the way the villagers wants. For the whole reason that the unseen beast would never consume the life of the child of the unseen."
.....
As the years passed, Seiren became curious about the village. Sukuna warned her to never to go there, since each one of the villagers still believed that she was the culprit of the misfortune that had been happening for the past fifteen years. If they saw her walking throughout the village, she would only receive mistreatment for part of them. And she would be blamed as well of the disappearance that been happening once again.
Yet, one day, she left the house when he wasn't home, going towards the village. At first everything was fine, until everyone noticed the red butterflies fluttering around her and stared at her face. Contempt and fear didn't take long to be present in their eyes, words of hatred and blame leaving their mouths. But not everyone was like that, a few of them just ignored her like she didn't exist in the first place. Still this was just another way of their mistreatment!
However, this wasn't enough to stop Seiren from coming back another day. Things getting worst day by day. The kids that at first used to run away the moment they saw her, became fearless and started to throw rocks at her. A few adults only watched, not having the intention of stopping the children. Others shouted at her, 'leave the village'. 'You're not welcome here'.
I definitely should not have come, Seiren thought, hatred starting to taint her soul for the first time. Low cries left her lips when the rocks finally reached her body, putting her hands in front to protect her face, just waiting for everything to just end.
The torture did not last more than a few seconds. The children stopped in their actions when a male scolded them. "What are you kids doing!?" His angry voice scared the children away and the rest of villagers continued with their own business.
"Are you okay?" The stranger asked, his voice gentle and full of concern this time, halting once he was in front of the young girl.
Seiren lowered her hands, her mismatched eyes eyeing the tall young man. He seemed almost her age, perhaps only three or four years older than her. He has black hair that flowed behind his head down to his neck, two strands in front of his face wrapped with white cloth. His eyes are closed and he's wearing a green yukata robe.
It was the first time that someone, except her guardian, had spoken to her that she did not know how to react, words refusing to leave her mouth. At the last moment, she only nodded at the question.
"Are you really sure?" The young man insisted, opening his eyes. He stared at the hands of Seiren that had a few red marks, caused by the rocks the children had thrown at her just a few moments ago. "Do your hands not hurt?"
"I'm fine," she quietly said, feeling overwhelmed. The only thing she wanted now was to go home and never come back again. She should have listened to Sukuna!
Although the answer of the girl was clearly a lie, he did not press further about that matter. "You're Seiren, right?"
Seiren wasn't surprised at all that the young man knew her name. Just like the rest of the villagers, he probably heard the rumors about the cursed child that lives close to the Cursed Forest. Not seeing the point of lying, she hesitantly nodded.
"I'm Kamo Noritoshi," he introduced himself. "I'm not sure of the reason of why you decided to visit the village, but I can show you around if you want. That way the children will not harm you again," he kindly offered, not minding at all to keep her company.
Seiren thought for a while. This was the first time a villager was showing kindness to her that it was hard to believe it. But the gentle aura Noritoshi emitted made her accept at the very last moment. "I gladly accept," she paused, feeling the eyes of the villagers that passed by all over her filled with contempt and hatred. "However, it would have to be on another occasion."
Noritoshi noticed the discomfort every villager caused to her, offering to bring her home. "That's perfectly fine. And if you don't mind, I'll accompany you, to make sure you arrive at your home safe."
Since Seiren wanted to go home soon as possible, she accepted Noritoshi's offer again. Unknown to both of them, this was the start of a friendship that will blossom someday into love.