Chapter Text
Not a sound is heard in the empty national museum. In the dead of night, there's a small glimpse of a shadow before it disappears in utter darkness. The only light comes from the glass windows and skylights in just a few of the exhibits.
A thief follows the darkest path to find the center exhibit on the first floor. He blends in with the shadow while wearing nothing but a black skin tight suit. When he encounters a sliver of moonlight from the glass windows, only his green eyes give himself away. The rest of his face is covered by a black mask.
This thief is well known in the criminal world for his meticulous work breaking into well guarded museums and stealing the most popular rarities. He does this effortlessly and with a kind of elegance that other thieves strive to obtain. Expensive gems and gold jewelry go missing every couple of months, and museums are wary of advertising their new exhibits if it contains anything shiny and of significant value on the black market.
No matter what these museums do - how much security they hire, even if they change the layout of their exhibit, this particular thief will make them his target and he'll steal the most valuable thing they have.
It takes a lot of work and planning on Megumi Fushiguro’s part. It’s serious for him, especially when he’s being paid millions to get the job done. Because of this, he rarely ever takes jobs that are given to him with a restricted time limit.
However, the ease of his next job is quickly snatched away by an eager patron who gives him a very short amount of time to steal an item that they give no details on. Megumi's initial answer to the buyer was a swift and unwavering “no” until he received a transfer of five million dollars with the promise of five million more once the job is done. The buyer seems desperate, or at least a little too excited to have someone steal this item.
Megumi is reluctant to agree to a job he has to complete in one night. However, he knows the museum, he knows the security layout and schedule, he knows where all the alarms are and has a detailed understanding of most of the exhibits.
Except one.
The national museum just revealed an older exhibit that hasn't been on display in years. It’s only been open to the public for one day, and Megumi is expected to know everything about it.
The only message he receives from his buyer is steal Ryoumen Sukuna. Megumi has no idea what that is. He doesn't have any time to do his research when money is dropped into his account and he can't refuse.
But no amount of money can prepare him for what he sees once he gets to the target exhibit.
He expects a jewel but that’s not what he finds.
The thief stares up at the massive statue of an old deity that reigned terror on the world three thousand years ago: Ryoumen Sukuna. With incredible power, the deity was able to wreak havoc on civilizations and bring them to their downfall. The story is told less and less as centuries pass, but his statue remains priceless in the museum. Displaying this exhibit after almost fifty years of keeping it hidden has brought the museum a lot of attention it hasn't seen in a while. Including the attention of a mysterious buyer that has been waiting for this exhibit to go public again.
The marble statue of Ryoumen Sukuna sits on his throne, gazing forward to the future of new onslaught. The stone has etched markings and patterns on it reflecting the symmetric skin tattoos along the neck, arms, and torso. The muscles are defined meticulously, every groove and curve perfectly rounded to show the immense strength of a god who used his bare hands to crush those who defied him. His chest remains bare to show the power he exudes. One hand is open, however it appears as if he should be holding something. In the other palm there's a flame spear, the edges jagged and sharp.
The features of his face are rough, even through the marble. There’s an anger in the lifeless eyes, one so powerful that tourists are usually quick to back away from the amazing stature.
The sculptor must’ve been a god himself.
Megumi stands in the middle of the exhibit in awe.
The statue looks real, as if Ryoumen Sukuna is there now, trapped inside the stone. The ominous presence brings chills to Megumi's body. All he can do is look up in shock as he comes to the conclusion that someone is playing a cruel joke on him.
He's a jewel thief, he can't steal a giant statue.
It doesn’t even cross his mind that he should be stealing a statue. Maybe he's looking for gemstones, jewelry, maybe a golden weapon…anything that's not a statue. The buyer must know that he's a jewel thief. Megumi wants to give the buyer the benefit of the doubt, however he turns back to the statue and gets this gut feeling that this - Ryoumen Sukuna - is truly the target.
The buyer wasn't specific, yet said everything to let Megumi know that he's in the right spot.
"Fuck." He whispers to himself and thinks.
Now what? He hopes that he's mistaken. He doesn't have the means or the equipment to stealthily make a whole statue disappear.
He grumbles to himself and hastily pulls out a flip phone to dial the only number he has saved on it. He continues to look around, keeping an eye out for anyone that may show up while doing their shift walks.
He has about five minutes before a security personnel will come to this exhibit.
The dial tone stops and Megumi takes a deep breath. “Are you insane?” He hisses quietly. “I’m not a fucking furniture mover! I steal jewels, not statues.” He wants to shout, but he whispers angrily into the phone.
No one speaks. Megumi is met with silence as he waits for someone to say something. No one does. Instead, the call drops and all Megumi can do is stare at his phone.
Did they just hang up on me? He calls again, but it goes straight to voicemail. “Are you fucking kidding me?” He sneers at his phone.
It vibrates with a notification.
Another deposit for five million dollars just landed into his account. A second later, he receives a text message as well: Please, I need you to complete the job.
Megumi hardly feels the need to comply. He writes up a long text message for the buyer, a very impolite request to take the money back because he’s being asked to do something that is not in his job description.
With his back turned to the statue, he doesn't notice the low glow of red that begins to follow the markings on the marble. The lines along the arms and torso slowly light up, almost as if the glow is breathing. It pulses slowly upward towards the neck and face, more tattoos glowing a faint red before it all stops.
As quickly as the lights fades, another bright flash of red appears from the statue’s eyes. The light goes out just as fast.
Megumi pauses, looks around in front of him with a gut feeling that something terrible is about to happen, but he goes back to vigorously writing his message.
“Can’t believe this shit…” He continues to grumble to himself. He sends his messages and is just about to slide his phone into his pocket when he feels a rumble beneath his feet.
His first thought is that it’s an earthquake. Yet, the sound that comes directly behind him is what makes him whip back to see what it is. The rumbling stops when his eyes fixate on the statue. The ground no longer shakes, and Megumi is met with silence. Again
Whatever is happening, it puts Megumi on alert.
His eyes scan the statue and it feels as if it’s looking right back at him. Now he's uneased. Megumi knows there's something wrong. He knows he's not crazy either.
But the statue is looking back at him.
The head is turned downward, facing directly in Megumi's direction instead of looking straight ahead like before. The hand that was open before is now closed into a fist. Megumi swears he’s not crazy. The statue wasn't in this position before…but statues don't move.
They're…statues.
He has to reason with his sudden fear.
The vibration in his hand snaps him out of his panic, though his green eyes remain focused on the new position of the statue. He slowly answers his phone but doesn't turn away just yet.
The buyer actually speaks to him this time. "I need the statue." The man says, a desperate tone to his voice.
Megumi's anger becomes uncontrollable. He suddenly remembers why he's upset in the first place. He yanks his off mask in a fit of rage, revealing his midnight hair. “Fuck you! You hired me to steal something valuable, not some giant piece of marble.” Megumi whisper yells into the phone.
Usually, he wouldn’t fall victim to his anger, but he’s never had a buyer disrespect him before. No one has played a cruel trick on him like this and he's not going to let someone do it now. The persistence and disregard for what he's actually known for puts him on edge.
“This isn’t funny. Take your money, I’m not doing it.” He puts his foot down on the matter and isn't willing to negotiate.
“Name your price, I’ll give you whatever you want.” The man continues. Money isn’t an issue for him, though Megumi doesn’t care.
He should've trusted his gut beforehand, something told him that taking a last minute job was a bad idea. Yet, for just a second, he was blinded by the money. Now Megumi is paying the price for it. He gets distracted by what is about to become an argument to get out of his deal. The buyer won’t let him return the money even if Megumi continues to swear at him.
In the heat of the argument, there's another flash of bright red in the exhibit, and this time Megumi sees it. He goes quiet immediately as his mind tries to process if the light actually came from the statue. I’m not crazy, he tries to convince himself.
Yet, his jaw drops once he realizes that he may be, in fact, crazy.
On the marble throne sits a version of Ryoumen Sukuna that breathes. His chest rises and falls with ease. Both hands curl into fists, muscles tense and bulging from the tension. The etchings on his skin are now dark tattoos. And eyes, once lifeless, now a piercing blue, glare right back at Megumi with a deadly warning.
“Human.” The former statue announces in the darkness, voice booming in the silence and echoing in the halls. “Why are you before me?”
There’s a chilling stillness in the air as Megumi stares back at the deity that addresses him. His mouth remains agape and only air comes from him. Not an ounce of understanding reaches him. He battles between letting it be known that he’s crazy, or that he’s being tricked.
His phone is still pressed to his ear, the buyer continuing to make his case to have Megumi complete the job. Megumi hasn’t heard a single word since realizing that Ryoumen Sukuna is real.
If Megumi thought he wasn’t doing the job before, he’s definitely not doing it now.
“Did you know it’s real?” Megumi whispers into his phone, his voice shaking from the sudden rise in fear.
“Human.” Sukuna says again, a deep growl rumbling through his chest and shaking the walls of the museum.
Megumi panics.
Other voices begin to echo in the museum. Security are in other exhibits and hear the booming voice of an ancient god that has come to life.
It's either get caught and turned over to the police or die by the hands of a vicious deity. “Someone wants you.” Megumi answers the giant beast.
“Someone wishes to die.” Sukuna’s hands open, golden flames rising in his palms. The light is enough for Megumi to see the anger in the god’s eyes. There’s death and hatred in the powerful glare.
But Megumi’s urgency to get the hell out of the museum is what drives him more. “You are being bought. I’m supposed to bring you to them-”
“No.” The former statue moves again, clenching the golden flame in his fist, the fire beginning to leak through his fingers.
Megumi doesn’t want this situation to get any worse. If this is a joke, it has to stop now. He directs all of his anger towards his phone, the mysterious buyer asking questions about what's happening.
“I can’t steal a fucking statue. I’m a jewel thief, not a furniture mover.” Megumi hisses angrily and gets into another brief argument with the buyer. “You’re a fucking psycho if you think I’m doing this for you.” He swears again and again, letting the buyer know that he is out of his mind for asking.
This god isn’t a patient one, but he waits and listens to the phone call. Through his eyes, the human appears stressed, though not because he stands before an all powerful god. Something about being stolen scares this human even more…and there’s no intention of just giving away the god for the fun of it.
Money is on the line here, and Megumi repeatedly refuses all of it.
This being is worth millions and Megumi is choosing to not go through with it.
The vicious beasts asks himself why.
Is he not wanted by the human? Is he not worth the risk? Surely, this human knows who he is, right? Megumi doesn't let up with his refusal, and it begins to make Sukuna curious.
“..get someone else to do it.” Megumi hangs up abruptly, and tucks his phone away into the pocket of his skin tight suit.
He's about to run when he hears Sukuna's voice again.
“Am I unworthy of being stolen?” Sukuna asks, his tone not as aggressive and cold as before. In fact, he sounds interested in what’s supposed to happen next.
Maybe he wants to be stolen. It shows that he has some relevance, even thousands of years later.
Megumi sees small lights from the other exhibits. Footsteps are approaching and they do so quickly. He tries to think fast about how to escape, but Sukuna’s question still remains. “I’m a jewel thief. I steal things that can fit in my hands.”
The large being begins to move, getting up from his throne, and kneels in front of Megumi.
Without a second of hesitation, Megumi takes a step back, but that’s not enough to put distance between him and the god. The large being becomes even larger as he comes closer to Megumi, crouching down to get a closer look at the face of the human that plans to steal him.
The heat is immense but what scares Megumi more is seeing deep blue eyes more clearly from the skylight. The closer Sukuna gets to him, the more his heart races in panic. Paralyzed by fear, Megumi finds himself just staring at Sukuna’s face, being drawn in by his rough features. There’s no hatred in Sukuna’s eyes, and the natural anger is replaced by curiosity.
There is silence between them.
There’s nothing Megumi can say that will allow him to just walk away from the situation.
Security quickly approaches and there’s nowhere for him to run.
The god takes his time staring back at Megumi before he makes his decision.
“Well,” he finally says, extending his hand out, “human, you can fit in mine.” Sukuna takes Megumi into his hand in one fell swoop.
Megumi doesn’t have time to scream from the hold on his body. With his fear as real as ever, he thinks he’s about to be crushed. The lump in his throat keeps him from making a sound. Every second, he waits for his impending death but it doesn’t happen.
Instead, Sukuna opens his hand and exposes him to the darkness of the exhibit again. Now Megumi is looking around the museum at a height he will never obtain. He sits in Sukuna’s palm, watching the faint light from the entrances become bright, security approaching the exhibits with their flashlights.
Sukuna holds his hand close to his chest as the men run into the exhibit.
There’s no plan to kill Megumi. In fact, Sukuna believes that Megumi is his only way out of the museum. This being can stand to heights taller than buildings, has the kind of strength to bring down civilizations - he has so much power flowing through him, but has allowed a thief to change his destiny.
He decides that it’s time to leave.
Ryoumen Sukuna rises from his knees. He closes the hand he keeps close to his chest and stands in the museum at full height, his other hand breaking through the ceiling to allow him room to extend himself.
Megumi hears the destruction but doesn’t feel the crushing rubble.
He is engulfed in the heat of Sukuna’s hand while protected from the falling ceiling. Once there’s silence, the fingers around him open and he can see the museum floor from a new height. The moon’s light catches the men on the ground. They watch in awe of the beast that just destroyed the roof of the museum simply by standing. Megumi sees it, their shock and fear.
He feels the same way they do.
If he had read the stories of Ryoumen Sukuna, he'd know that this isn't even a fraction of Sukuna's true size.
He turns back sharply to see the god’s face, though he’s completely speechless, shaking from the unwavering gaze of cold blue eyes. His fear doesn't fade, but there's a tiny sense of comfort that comes from knowing Sukuna is willing to get him out of the museum unscathed…at least that’s how it seems.
Sukuna has yet to crush Megumi in his hand. Megumi figures it’s for a reason…
The security guards stand frozen while gawking at the large being, unable to pay attention to the culprit that actually woke him up. There's no need to shine their flashlights towards the former statue but they do just as proof that what they’re seeing is real. Megumi curls up in Sukuna’s hand and hides his face from the other men down below.
He has to remind himself that what's happening is real, that he is sitting in Sukuna's hand - a real hand of a god that used to bathe in the blood of thousands.
“Human, tell me." Sukuna's voice rumbles through his chest again. Megumi can feel the vibration go through him. "What do you get out of your arrangement?” He asks as he begins to walk forward, crushing everything in the exhibit that hasn’t been destroyed yet beneath his feet.
“Stop!” One of the security guards yells but that doesn’t stop the large being. His voice is faint to Megumi, almost insignificant to the point that Megumi forgets that there are others down below.
The men are lucky, Sukuna could easily choose to step on them; this is their time to run but they just stand in place and watch the giant beast break through the rubble of the opposite wall that leads to the front of the museum.
Why chase something that can kill them in seconds? It's their job to make sure nothing is stolen from the museum, but a statue making its way out of the building is something different. They'd need a lot more reinforcement than just a few personnel.
Sukuna pays the other men no mind as the wall crumbles around him with a gaping remnant of where he came from. He doesn’t flinch at the infrastructure he breaks through. There’s not an ounce of interest or care for the museum, he’ll gladly see to its demise. He demolishes the other exhibits under his feet, crushing jewels, paintings, and relics that are worth millions.
None of what he breaks will bring any kind of satisfaction to him. All he thinks about is the fun he’ll have while causing mass torment and destruction. His violent vision is restored once he makes his way to the front steps of the museum.
But he is aware that the human in his hand is fragile and delicate. He shifts his palm to rest Megumi closer against his chest and cover him from the falling concrete.
Megumi waits for the nightmare to end. He remains curled up in Sukuna’s hand, his arms over his head as if he may be struck by falling debris. This isn’t real, he chants quietly to himself, it’s just a shitty nightmare. It’s anything but a nightmare. He has yet to wake up.
“Human.” Sukuna says again and turns his hand, exposing the small human sitting in his palm.
Megumi slowly brings his arms down as he looks around. The city is in his view. In the opposite direction, there’s a shadow of trees he can’t make out.
“What will you obtain?” Sukuna asks again, curious.
It takes Megumi a second to find his voice. His mind still can’t wrap around the fact that he’s sitting in a god’s hand. “Money,” he answers slowly. “I’m being paid to steal you.”
“By whom?”
“I don’t know him.”
“Human riches can only provide you so much satisfaction.” Sukuna doesn’t seem impressed. His expression is bored despite hoping their situation will be fun. Of course, he wants something out of this, too. “I will go with you on one condition.” He announces into the night.
Megumi still can't believe that he just witnessed the destruction of a very well established museum all because a mysterious buyer thought he could obtain a statue. "We're going to jail…" Megumi hears the building falling apart behind them. The screams and shouts of the people trapped from the rubble are sounds that just fade into the night.
"Jail?" Sukuna doesn't understand. "I doubt even this world's prisons will hold a god. We are not going anywhere." He says with confidence.
He turns back towards the museum and watches the falling destruction, the collapse of the building under the unsturdy weight. The view, for Sukuna, doesn't amuse him as much as it should. He has chosen to stay quiet in that museum for years, though he was kept hidden and shown only when deemed fit for society.
His story no longer strikes fear in the world.
For that, the museum should burn.
A small fire lights in his other hand with the desire of truly displaying what effortless destruction looks like.
The golden flame grows into a vibrant spear of heat, lighting up the face of a god that used to terrorize civilizations. Sukuna flicks his wrist and the spear strikes the already falling museum, a burst of a fire consuming the building and burning it to its core.
Megumi stares at the fire in a terrified amazement. He doesn't expect Sukuna to suddenly decide to cause more destruction than he already has, but Megumi doesn't know the story of this violent deity.
Tonight is just the first lesson.
Sukuna enjoys playing with fire and watching things burn by his hand.
Megumi wants nothing more to do with him. The faster he gets Sukuna off his hands, the faster he can go back to a quiet life. “What is the condition?...”
“I have items that have been stolen from me and I want them back.” Sukuna says. “Help me find them, and I will let you bring me to who will reward you.”
That doesn't sound like a better solution to Megumi.
"You’re joking."
He truly thinks that he was set up with this job. Someone wants to see him in prison. Megumi shakes his head in disbelief and looks out into the night as Sukuna continues walking away from the fire.
“N-no-no, I can’t help you." He stammers. "This is not what I do-”
“You’re a thief.”
“I steal jewelry and fucking tiny gems.” Megumi shouts. “And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re a fucking giant that'll get the attention of every single news outlet in the fucking world. You’ll never make it anywhere, I can’t move you around, either.” Megumi panics, running his hands through his hair as his mind tries, once again, to rationalize everything.
He just can't. The anxiety begins to swallow him.
“Help me, and I will help you.” Sukuna offers again. “You find my items, I offer you protection in return. You will also get your reward as well.”
Megumi has no reason to agree, but it’s already too late. He’s in the hand of a god, is now an accessory to the destruction of billions of dollars, and cannot escape even if he tries.
He can see the glow of the fire in the dark sky, and he knows that the world will find out about it soon enough.
If Sukuna doesn't get him first, he'll probably be thrown in prison for life. He has no choice but to agree to Sukuna's demands.
“Fine.” Megumi gives up.
Now he has to figure out what to do with a noticeable god that can be seen from miles away. Even if Sukuna offers his protection, Megumi still has to find a way for Sukuna to go unseen.
"Wait-" Megumi says abruptly, "before you head towards the forest, let me call the buyer." He grabs his phone from his pocket.
He calls the man that has ruined his entire life. The buyer picks up on the first ring, eager to hear Megumi's voice again. After what seemed to be happening before, he was a bit worried that Megumi didn't make it out.
"We have a bit of a problem." Megumi says to him.
"I'm sure it's something that can be easily handled." The buyer says.
Megumi mocks his comment silently before speaking. "Sukuna won't go unless I find his items first."
"Ah…" The man says quietly and pauses, then he says, "he has relics scattered across the world, a few of them ended up on the black market."
Megumi rolls his eyes and groans in frustration. He's not interested in doing more travel that's going to get him noticed. "Can you get them?"
"I'm not really well versed in the art of stealing." The buyer chuckles.
Megumi's frustration builds. Sukuna watches the human in his palm, though he’s too focused on what he wants to care about Megumi’s disdain for the situation. "I want my staff." Sukuna says.
The mysterious man can hear Sukuna's voice through the phone. "Ah-the staff is missing." He tells Megumi hastily. "It's Sukuna's strongest weapon and the most stolen item - every time it turns up, it goes missing again."
"You're kidding." Megumi groans.
"The Obsidian Staff hasn't turned up since it was stolen last year…but I might know someone who can help." The buyer sounds a bit hopeful. "In the meantime, just find everything else."
"Listen, this isn't part of my job!" Megumi yells. "It takes me months to go after a target! There's no way in hell I can find everything fast enough-"
"Thanks for taking the job." The buyer speaks over him. "I'll have another deposit in your account for the trouble."
The man hangs up.
Megumi's jaw drops again. He continues to fall for the disrespect and he hates it more and more. Not once has he met someone who continues to disregard his capabilities.
"Human." Sukuna gets his attention. He's been patient long enough.
Megumi finally looks up at him, remembering that Sukuna is waiting for an answer. "The staff will be the hardest to find. The buyer suggests we look for everything else first."
"You appear frustrated with this handler."
"This isn't my job!" Megumi snaps. "And I'm not looking to piss off some god that gets off on lighting buildings on fire either. I don't know what that man's problem is but if I see him in person, I'll strangle him."
"I can also take care of him for you." Sukuna makes another offer.
"What?-" Megumi abruptly stops himself, taking a second to process what Sukuna just said. "No! I'm not going to let you kill him!"
"You said strangle-"
"Not to death!"
"You are already a thief, human. Murder is not far from stealing." Sukuna laughs loudly into the cold air, finding amusement with Megumi's anger.
"Murder is very far from stealing - you know what, it's fine - whatever! I'll help you as long as you promise to help me."
"We have a deal that benefits us both." Sukuna agrees and continues walking towards the forest. He doesn't understand the sounds of sirens that occur behind him, but he doesn't care. He walks towards the forest as if he didn't just cause a massive fire. "Because your infuriating buyer has said my staff is missing, we will get my mask first."
"You know where it is?"
"That's your job to find out, is it not?"
Well, Megumi doesn't like the sound of more work.
Since he already agreed to the partnership, he has to find a way to make it work. Figuring out where Sukuna's items are is one thing, but hiding the fifteen meter tall menace is another. "We need to figure out how we're going to move around with you during the day-"
"I cannot move during the day." Sukuna says and Megumi blinks at him slowly, confused by what that means. "I've been cursed to live out my days in the shadows. Once the sun rises, I will turn to stone again."
"You're fucking joking!" Megumi yells again.
"Am I amusing?" Sukuna asks seriously.
"So, we also have to find a place to stash you when you can't move? This job is a nightmare." He feels the weight of his anxiety crushing him.
He only works with small items, but now he's going on the hunt for relics he doesn't care for with a deity that can only move during the night. All the odds are stacked against them, Megumi knows it.
"I'll…" he sighs to himself, shaking his head. "I'll figure it out." He says in defeat. "Just hide in the forest and make sure no one finds you."
Megumi needs time to think of something.
Stealing Ryoumen Sukuna is just the first part of the job he's been tricked into taking. Next he has to find Sukuna's mask and figure out a way to steal it. Until he comes up with something, he has to make sure Sukuna doesn't draw any more unnecessary attention than he already has.
However, that'll be a task in and of itself.
Sukuna is a god of chaos - where he goes, destruction will follow.