3rd Point Of View
"The next visitor is the chief of the Danzai Village, my Lord." The curse user announced as he entered the room, his eyes immediately locking on the (Y/n) who sat contently one the floor by Sukuna's throne, painting without care of what was going on around her. Sukuna cleared his throat loudly, making the curse user snap out of his daze.
"Let him in." Sukuna demanded, making the curse user nod before motioning for the person behind him to enter the room.
The village chief was an old man, one who looked as if he could barely walk properly. And the fact that he'd stayed all day in the freezing cold to get his enquiry attended to, suggested to Sukuna that this man was desperate.
"My Lord!" The old man called out desperately as he entered, making Sukuna sigh boredly. It was no fun if he could guess their desperatiom before they even spoke.
"What is it?" Sukuna replied boredly, leaning his head back momentarily as he exhaled with exhaustion.
"I have come to begging for assistance!" The chief exclaims, "My village is plagued by curses. People are dying- people who are loyal supporters to you, my Lord! I beg of you to help us. We are just a small village, you see."
The man continued to speak with pure desperation, making Sukuna space out. The village chiefs lips were moving and Sukuna was too bored to process the information he was saying. As the old man spoke, Sukuna looked down at (Y/n) to his side. She didn't look like she was listening either, too invested in her painting of a phoenix which admittedly was very good. The man did not realise she was such a talented artist until recently, when she'd painted the image of a man with a single tear running down his face last week.
But this painting had so much more engraved into it- more than what first met the eye. Sukuna could tell how much this painting meant to her. The man was impressed by her skill.
"-and so please, my lord. I beg of you to help us!" The man finished, snapping Sukuna out of his trance. Only now did he notice two more curse users stood in the room by the doors, standing guard in case this man were to suddenly attack.
"Do you have any sons?" Sukuna suddenly asked, confusing the village chief at the question.
"Y-yes...two, my lord." The man replied hesitantly, not understanding the significance on this piece of knowledge.
"And are they of age?" Sukuna then proceeded to ask the chief.
"N-no, not yet. They are just shy of seventeen- twins!" The chief replied.
"Then next year, when they are eighteen, they are to join my group of curse users." Sukuna then replied, making the old man's eyes turn glossy with shock.
"W-what?" The man stuttered out.
"You need my help? That is my price." Sukuna replied simply, "I'm going to need a new curse user very soon- and what better than have two take his place? Your children will get the proper changing before I send them off to do my bidding, do not worry. But they will be under my command- that is, if you truly want my help?"
"Y-yes. I do! I accept!" The man stammered out, feeling guilty but he knew he was doing the best for his village. Sukuna waved him off boredly with a sigh while nodding.
"Good. Now get out of my sight." Sukuna muttered without interest, his eyes falling back to (Y/n) who had just now began working on the details of the feather of her phoenix's tail.
"Bring the next one in." Sukuna muttered to the curse users, not paying attention long enough to heard if they'd replied or if the old man had left yet. He was entranced by the way (Y/n) used her quill, flickering it to create such intricate patterns.
"The tail should be longer." Sukuna then pointed out to her, noticing how her version of the phoenix wasn't entirely accurate in sizing.
A few moments passed and (Y/n) did not at all reply, having not heard him as she was in her own little world, blocking out all the voices, making Sukuna narrow his eyes on her with annoyance.
"I don't appreciate being ignored, brat." Sukuna hissed, making (Y/n) perk up at his mention of the word 'brat', realising that he was speaking to her.
"Huh? I'm sorry, what was that my Lord?" (Y/n) asked innocently as she sat up, looking up at Sukuna with doe eyes.
Sukuna gulped, regretting capturing her attention, regretting his actions that led to her looking up at him like that from where she kneeled on the floor. Sukuna cleared his throat, looking away.
"The tail. Make it longer." Sukuna muttered, making (Y/n) look down at her painting and gasp in awe.
"Ah! Of course!" She replies with a smile before leaning back down and using her brush to elongate a few feathers to make the phoenix's tail longer.
Sukuna couldn't help but stiffle a chuckle. When he asked her to sit there quietly, she really did listen to his orders. It's clear that the girl was completely drowning out everything that was being said today in these meetings, staying in her own world to give him privacy.
"Your next visitor is a resident of Shimutsui Village." The curse user announced to Sukuna, making him raise a brow, his eyes flickering down to (Y/n), watching as she froze.
Shimutsui Village was the villager she used to live in. Sukuna cocked his head as he watched (Y/n)'s breath hitch, slowly cocking her head up to watch as the next person walked into the room. Sukuna realised it was a woman this time- a woman who did not at all seem to be doing well for herself. Her clothes were ripped and her hair all knotted. She kind of looked terrifying, so Sukuna wasn't sure if fear was coursing through (Y/n)'s veins because of her appearance or because she recognised the lady.
Sukuna kept his eyes on (Y/n) watching the girl carefully as the villager from Shimutsui Village began to speak.
"My Lord! This is my third visitation! I beg of you to reconsider your decision!" The lady cried out dropping to her knees as she began to beg. At this, Sukuna looked towards the lady questioningly. She'd come here before? Sukuna didn't even remember her face in the slightest.
"Decision?" Sukuna echoed, his eyes flickering between (Y/n)'s frozen form and the lady infront of him.
"My daughter!" The lady cried, "My daughter was killed by a curse due to a stupid girl's recklessness! And so I beg of you to find her and kill her!" At this request, Sukuna began slowly understanding, piecing together information. The grave of that girl named 'Yumi' that (Y/n) visited- that must be this lady's daughter. At this lady's request, mortification ran ice cold through (Y/n)'s viens.
At this, all the curse users in the room as well as the villager screamed, suddenly feeling like they were being submerged in ice. They clawed at their throats, suddenly unable to breath. Sukuna felt the ice more tamedly compared to the rest, feeling mere pinpricks under his skin- though, it still definitely hurt. Guilt then coarserd through (Y/n), making everyone then choke on nothing, a lump forming at their throats.
"I-I'm sorry!" (Y/n) stammered out, looking over at Sukuna with wide eyes at what she havoc was causing. "I shouldn't have come!" The girl then cried out, scrambling up to her feet in attempt to flee the room. But before she could even get a step away from Sukuna, the man called on her.
"Sit." He demanded, making (Y/n) stop fleeing. However, she still did not sit. Instead, she turned back to face Sukuna with glossy eyes, staring pleadingly, her lips trembling. Sukuna almost gave in right there and then.
Then both Sukuna and (Y/n)'s attention was captured by a loud gasp. (Y/n) turned to face the villager with wide eyes, the villager mirrorung her expression almost perfectly.
"Y-you!" The lady cried, "It's you! You're the reason my daughter's dead!" Her eyes glossed over.
"Y-yumiko, please..." (Y/n) stuttered pleadingly.
"You're recklessness cost Yumi her life!" Yumiko screamed. Sukuna narrowed his eyes at the lady as she raised her voice at (Y/n), too on guard to enjoy the fact that his guess was correct.
"I wasn't...I didn't mean for...I-" (Y/n) couldn't get a sentence out straight, her eyes blocked by tears.
"I'll kill you where you stand!" Yumiko screamed, pulling a knife out of her kimono sleeve. At this, Sukuna raised his brow. Did this lady think that he was just going to let her kill (Y/n)? Yumiko ran towards (Y/n) with a terrifying yell, scrambling off the floor with her knife in the air in attempt to launch herself at her. (Y/n) stood frozen, not at all flinching back or moving.
Sukuna waited until the last possible moment to step in, wanting to see if (Y/n) would react. But she did not. She stayed dead still, eyes wide open, completely frozen into place. Right before the knife could reign down on her, Sukuna lifted his finger and sliced off Yumiko's arm. The lady screamed with pain and shock as her right arm fell to the floor, the knife clattering down with it.
Blood splattered against (Y/n), causing her to tremble with terror, having to see Yumiko so very clearly as she dropped to her knees in her own puddle of blood, her arm dead and detached on the floor. Yumiko looked up at Sukuna with betrayal, a look that made him want to burst out in laughter.
"M-My Lord! Why?!" Yumiko cried out, tears running down her cheeks as she used her other hand to clutch onto her wound.
Sukuna let a small huff of amusement slip past his lips as he shook his head.
"Oh- I apologise. For a second there, it just seemed like you no longer remembered that I was here. That made me a little angry, you see." Sukuna told her with a small low chuckle.
"P-please, my lord! She is right there! Allow me to kill her!" Yumiko begged.
"Allow you to kill her? For what price? What would you give me in return?" Sukuna suddenly asked.
"Anything! My life! My body! My service! Whatever you want!" Yumiko cried, making Sukuna hum at her reply, his fingers on his chin as he thought on it.
"Interesting." The man mused.
"How about the rest of you? Do you think that is a fair trade?" Sukuna asked, looking over to the curse users that stood guard by the door.
The two curse users looked at eachother questioningky before nodding in reply. In that moment, Sukuna suddenly cut off both their arms too with pure anger.
"Wrong answer." Sukuna hissed.
"But why?!" Yumiko yelled, making Sukuna cock his head.
"You're really asking me why? Would one trade a diamond for a grain of dirt? No. And plus, I've recently found out that I am quite sentimental..." Sukuna grinned, being continuing to say,
"Once I take a liking to something...it is never leaving my side."
(A.N ~ I'm gonna be late to meet my friends for writing this.)
Chapter 46 Quote Teaser :
"Sukuna, wait!"