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It starts with a taciturn ‘’I’m sorry,’’ from the mouth opening in the flesh right by Yuuji’s ear.
Yuuji flinches from the sudden sound, but his restraints don’t allow for much movement. The talismans on the walls flicker along with the candle flames around him. It doesn’t do much to the mouth, which remains right by his ear. As Gojou demonstrated earlier, these talismans do little to nothing to subdue Sukuna; the only thing that’s truly between the world and the demon is Yuuji. Yuuji and his power as a vessel, which have him slated to die along with the demon.
He swallows thickly. ‘’You caused so much destruction.’’
Sukuna licks his lips. His, lips, which are on Yuuji’s skin. Yuuji grimaces. It feels strange and more than a little gross. ‘’I saved us from that curse, didn’t I?’’
Yuuji glares off into space, his hands curling into fists where they’re bound behind him. ‘’And then you didn’t want to give my body back.’’
On Yuuji’s temple, a single eye opens. It blinks. ‘’Would you, if you’d been imprisoned in the darkness, all alone for such a long time?’’
‘’Maybe,’’ but Yuuji shakes his head. ‘’That may be so, but I saw everything, you know. It’s not just you who sees everything I see. I also see everything you see. And… Sukuna, you spoke of a massacre. I can’t let that happen. I should listen to Gojou. Gather your fingers and swallow them one by one.’’
The mouth by his ear bares its teeth. Yuuji can see it from the corner of his eye. ‘’And be killed yourself at the end? They’re so ungrateful, jujutsu sorcerers. Always have been, always will be. I gave them my all, and see where I ended up? A massacre is the only way to live in this world, Yuuji. The only way to make sure you live. That’s not any different for me than for you.’’
Sukuna shuts up. Yuuji almost wishes he didn’t, because the silence is even worse as it leaves him alone with his thoughts. The things Gojou said. The things Fushiguro talked about. The violence that Sukuna exuded earlier, and yet, his soberness now.
Who’s right? Both sides seem to be painted in blood. Maybe Sukuna’s just misguided. Maybe the sorcerers are hiding things from him. Yuuji doesn’t know. He closes his eyes and bows his head. This is going to be a long night.
Yuuji thinks and thinks and thinks. But the thing is, he’s always been far better at moving, at doing, at feeling, than at thinking. It’s not that he’s dumb, it’s more that he knows what is his forte and what is not. He’ll never outsmart someone by thinking fourteen chess moves ahead. His intuition is honed well and it has never done him wrong; it’s frankly more his style to simply follow it than fight against the grain in the mental realm. Feelings are powerful things. They can move mountains, they can hold up the sky and split the sea. He trusts his gut. He does.
That’s what makes it all the more difficult when everything around him sets his instincts off.
When Gojou sets him free in the morning, he shakes his head and goes visit his clubmates. Thankfully they’ll recover, though he doesn’t doubt they’ll be haunted by nightmares.
Gojou accompanies him to the cremation centre. It’s a painful thing, to watch gramps go up in smoke, but the dead don’t wake again. Yuuji, not having known his parents, knows this better than anyone.
Gojou tells him of the horrors jujutsu sorcerers face. Of the truth of the world, that will haunt Yuuji to the day he dies whether he fights or not. About Sukuna, and how his limbs being out in the open worsens and strengthens other curses, making the casualties grow ever larger.
It’s meant to make Yuuji think because Gojou is the kind of person who thinks. Yuuji might be unable to see his eyes, but he can hear it—the constant whirring of cogs in Gojou’s head as he changes gears to whatever suits the situation best.
As always, though, it is emotion that drives Yuuji to his decisions. His love for his grandfather, his determination to see his last request through, his heart for the people who’ve been harmed by this, as well his horror at the situation.
He’ll hunt Sukuna’s fingers down. He’ll swallow them all, will keep his soul inside his body. He’s not sure what Sukuna’s all about, or what Gojou is planning, but he does know this: he promised his grandfather to help people, and he’s going to.
Yuuji is sincere—Sukuna’s fingers bring disaster upon the world, but well. Sukuna can’t help that, can he? He’s safe from the jujutsu sorcerers as long he’s inside Yuuji, just as the world is safe as long as Sukuna is inside Yuuji. As long as Yuuji is alive, Sukuna has nothing to fear.
Yuuji can protect the world. Perhaps he can protect Sukuna as well.
Within him, upon a throne built on lies and bones, Sukuna smiles.
Perhaps, had he known the true fear of death, Yuuji wouldn't have fallen for his act. But for the time being he's still fearless, and Sukuna... Sukuna can take advantage of that.
When Yuuji does feel the threat of true death... well, Sukuna will protect him, won’t he? What is there to fear when you have an all-powerful demon inside of you, ready to take care of all your problems for you?
He’ll have to be cautious, making sure that pesky teacher doesn’t catch on, but well… Everything is going according to plan so far. His spiderweb is growing larger by the day.
Sukuna’s soul has always been in his fingers, and Sukuna enjoys playing Yuuji like an instrument, spider silk to direct his movements, playing his mind like others can play a body.
Puppetry is so much harder than just ripping the enemy apart.
It is also far more satisfying.
Sweet words in the ear, a hand upon the heart, an in with the mind and the seduction of the soul, so it may become black enough for the darkness to deafen and blind.
He’ll get Yuuji yet.