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Yuuji heard Sukuna's taunting laugh as he shook the blood from his hair. Emerging from the River Styx and muttering curses under his breath, he walked down the long corridor leading him to the House. The damned shades in Elysium…
He was stopped by a cold hand on his shoulder, and he turned around to see Toge sign at him. Hey, it's you!
"Hey, Toge," Yuuji sighed. He loved him, he really did, but he was not in the mood for his ribbing. Not that Toge seemed to care.
Looks like one of those Flame Wheels drove right into you, and burst into a fiery explosion, killing both of you. Is that what happened there? Well, if it makes you feel better, technically I think this means you got your revenge.
"It doesn't," Yuuji replied, not bothering to entertain him. Usually Yuuji liked to throw a quip or two back at Toge, they always had good banter, but his mood was especially sour after his last attempt. He had been so close that time, had made it further than he ever had been before, but it still ended with him falling victim to the River Styx. He turned into the West Wing, hoping to see Gojo in his usual spot standing guard. Much to Yuuji's dismay, the man was nowhere to be found.
"He must be on break," Yuuji muttered, feeling his sour mood dampen even further. He really could've used some advice, but maybe Yuki was around. He turned back around, trying to avoid eye contact with Sukuna as he walked past his desk in the Great Hall. He didn't make it any further than the edge of his desk before he heard Sukuna's taunting laugh start up again.
"Back already?" Sukuna sneered, looking down at Yuuji from where he sat, piles of parchment and what he could only assume were death certificates surrounding the surface. Yuuji felt his eye twitch and he took a deep breath through his nose, and exhaled through his mouth.
"Don't hold your breath, I was just heading out again," Yuuji snapped, still avoiding eye contact as he made his way to the East Hall. Sukuna let him, but he felt his eyes on him still as he approached Yuki, standing ever diligent outside his bedchambers.
"You're back! I see you got bested by one of those nasty Flame Chariots," she greeted, and if Yuuji wasn't looking right at her, he'd still be able to know she was smirking by the tone of her voice.
"Well, what can you do. I'll get them next time. Say, Yuki, I haven't seen much of Megumi around here as of late. You don't suppose he's mad, do you?"
Yuki's smile faded as a look of contemplation settled on her fair features. "Hm… Well, he is very busy shepherding mortals, and you know how he gets about taking breaks. As for your question, I feel as though that's something you should bring up with him. I have no idea how he's feeling."
"How am I supposed to ask him if I never see him? But thanks Yuki. Let him know I say 'hi' if you see him, I guess," Yuuji mumbled, just as he felt movement in the pouch attached to his hip. He had nearly forgotten about his earnings from the rivers.
He entered the lounge and saw the Head Chef still chopping away at onions, just as he was the last time Yuuji saw him. Come to think of it, Yuuji had never seen him do anything but chop onions. He'd never even seen him so much as touch the fish he brought back after their initial trade was over. Well, whatever. As long as Yuuji still got rewards in exchange, the chef could do whatever he wanted.
He approached the chef and handed over his catches, which had only earned him a few gems and a bottle of nectar. Not even his fishing from his last attempt was worth much apparently. Yuuji thanked him and walked back towards his bed chambers. He eyed the bed, a small voice in the back of his mind that sounded suspiciously like Toge tempting him to lay down for just a couple minutes. He weighed his options. On one hand, he could go for a nap to at least ease his mind for a little while. But on the other…
His brother was out there, somewhere even Sukuna was unable to reach. Out of the underworld, and out of Sukuna's clutches.
Yuuji remembered how furious he had been when he discovered everyone in the House had been hiding this piece of his life from him, how no one had ever bothered to tell him he had an older brother. Someone who was no less passionate, but far more kind than their ruler. Than his uncle. He was angry, but he also felt so betrayed. His closest friends, his family, had never bothered to tell him. He grew up under the watchful eye of Yuki and the torment of his uncle, raised under the impression that his only immediate blood relative was the tyrannical lord of the underworld. Apparently, Yuuji had almost died during birth and his brother had been so distraught, he ran away before Yuki could tempt the fates into keeping him alive.
He had no idea what came of his mother after his birth, and he had tried asking after finding out about his brother, but no one else seemed to know, either. Maybe once he found Choso he could ask him about her.
Growing up in the House was so isolating, even with Megumi and Tsumiki around. They spent their infancy and childhood together, but as soon as Megumi and Tsumiki were old enough to wield a weapon, they were put straight to work.
Yuuji was supposed to be put to work as well, but, well. He was never good enough at anything to earn Sukuna's approval, and Yuuji didn't necessarily care enough to earn it anyway. He always felt restless confined to the walls of the house, like there was something missing. Something else he was destined to do.
And, as the fates would have it, there was.
Yuuji turned steadfastly away from his bed and marched to the courtyard just outside his room and grabbed his sword. He'd escape this hell house and find his brother if it killed him.
…Not that he could really die, seeing as he was an immortal god, but whatever.
Yuuji jumped out of the crack in the bricks in the courtyard and landed on a platform just outside of the House. Right into Tartarus. He accepted the boon presented to him, this one from Dionysus. He felt his sword absorb the power just as restless louts emerged in front of him.
As he got further and further, the overwhelming feeling of just being in Tartarus dissipated with every night. He used to hate it, seeing all the lonesome and tortured shades wandering the deepest pits of hell. Now that they're fighting against him per Sukuna's orders, he found that he really didn't mind slashing through them if it got him one step closer to his brother.
Chamber after chamber, slayed shade after slayed shade, he pushed through and did his best not to look back. He was able to find a few centaur hearts to keep him going, and the Mirror of Night granted him another death defiance. He was cautiously optimistic that he could at least make it past Asphodel this time. Probably.
Yuuji cleared his chamber and took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever waited for him next, but the wicked onslaught of foes never came. His eyes fell on Nanami, the exalted king who cheated death twice, and his rock that he named Haibara. For some reason. Yuuji felt his mood get exponentially better.
"Nanamin!" He yelled, smiling wide as he ran up to him. He knew Sukuna and Megumi hated him for cheating death, but Yuuji always thought he was a good guy. He at least provided whatever Yuuji needed most at that moment, which was typically either food to keep his energy up or coins so he could get his energy up later. Seriously, what a nice guy.
"Yuuji," Nanami greeted, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "How's your run going?"
"It's actually been decently successful so far. I have high expectations that I can go even further tonight. Sukuna's forces are as relentless as ever, but so am I."
"That you are. Take your pick from what I've got here, hopefully it will help you at least marginally on your journey." With that, Nanami presented him with a stash of coins, essence of darkness, and food. He had used a pretty large amount of his darkness on the mirror when he opted for another death defiance… But he was also hungry.
He grabbed the food offered to him and thanked Nanami on his way to the next chamber, and he heard Nanami give his best wishes on his journey as he left. He really didn't see what Sukuna's problem with him was, but Sukuna also had a problem with everyone, so. Who's to say.
Yuuji slashed his way through a few more chambers before finding Charon set up at his usual spot just outside of where Tsumiki would be. He tried to strike up a conversation, but all he got was a groan with underlying hints of probable displeasure, so he took that as his cue to buy his shit and move on. He examined what Charon had offered, which included a mystery boon, a pomegranate for power boosting, and a centaur heart. He was feeling pretty good at the moment so he opted for the mystery boon, which happened to be from Ares. He always gave the best attack boons, which made Yuuji feel all the more confident that he'd make it further.
He thanked Charon on his way out and was met face to face with… Nanako? Where was Tsumiki?
"Nanako? What are you doing here? Don't tell me Sukuna's called in for your help, I thought you weren't even allowed in the house," Yuuji asked, perplexed and annoyed. He could handle Tsumiki, but he's heard less than stellar things about the other furies.
"Aww, I'm so sorry to disappoint. Tsumiki couldn't make it, and Lord Sukuna thought you were creating too much of a mess and had to call in some reinforcements. Not that this should be particularly difficult of a task," Nanako taunted, and Yuuji didn't even bother to dignify her with a response.
Nanako was annoying to fight, but she wasn't any more difficult than Tsumiki. She got angrier, much angrier, but that just led to more openings for Yuuji to strike.
She did manage to take a couple bites out of him, though.
The Styx claimed Nanako and Yuuji felt a small amount of pride as he left the chamber. So much for Tartarus.
He cleansed his wounds in the fountain right outside the chamber exit, feeling much more refreshed and ready to take on the blistering heat of Asphodel. He snagged the lucky tooth he got from Skelly from his cabinet that somehow traversed from his room — he still didn't really understand how that worked — and made way for the next region.
The sweltering heat and obnoxious sulfuric smell of Asphodel was ever unchanging, and Yuuji dreaded each time he had to fight through it.
It hadn't always been engulfed in flame. From what Yuuji remembered, it used to be verdant and vast and covered in asphodelus flowers. It once served as the middle ground between Tartarus and Elysium, where the ones without having done anything of note in life would go when they died. Now, since the river Phlegethon flooded the region, it was covered in magma and lava. In Yuuji's humble opinion, it made his journey that much more inconvenient.
He hopped on the small bone raft floating in the river of lava and made his way for the next chamber. He once thought he'd be able to walk on the lava, given the fact that his feet are literally always on fire, but he had promptly died and was rewarded with a one-way ticket back to the House, with Sukuna and Toge both laughing at his expense. Toge's was much less mean-spirited than Sukuna's, but still. Ouch.
Yuuji fought his way through Asphodel, taking much more damage from lava than he would've liked, but he at least didn't encounter the witch's circle, which was a win as far as he saw it.
His bone raft took him to Charon's shop, which indicated that the Lernaean Hydra was in the next chamber. He held back a sigh and wandered up to Charon's offerings. There was another centaur heart, which he immediately bought, but nothing else caught his eye. He thanked Charon one more time and took a deep breath, steeling himself as he opened the chamber door for the hydra waiting on just the other side.
"Looking as beautiful as ever, Lernie dear!" Yuuji greeted, but the bonehead just roared at him in response. Rude. And after he had so carefully crafted that nickname for it.
Yuuji was admittedly a bit nervous. It was rare that he actually managed to beat Lernie, only having done so a handful of times. Every time he thought he was getting somewhere, it would conjure up little hydra heads that spawned from the magma and he'd die to one of those little fuckers. He was determined to not let that happen again.
He lunged at the hydra with his sword, carefully avoiding the ranged strikes. He managed to evade most of its attacks, even when it brought in the first wave of mini hydra heads. His confidence was soaring with every swing of his sword, and soon he was facing the second wave of little hydras. Yuuji took a step back to look at each one, determining where to start.
One of them had green horns, which told him that it would be spitting rock-like eggs that would hatch into annoying skeletal… things. He wasn't really sure what they were, but they packed a mean punch. He decided to take that one out first, and then turned his focus to the next one. Then the next. He took a couple hits during his onslaught, but he finally managed to send the last head back into the boiling lava. He turned to look at Lernie, who let out another loud roar and launched another wave of attacks. Yuuji evaded some more, and lunged with his sword to unleash the fury of Ares, and he could tell Lernie was about to go down.
He threw a bloodstone imbued with Zeus's lightning and swung his sword right onto Lernie's neck, hearing its tell-tale screech as its bones crumbled back into the lava once again. Yuuji stood breathless as his reward appeared where Lernie once stood, and he walked with shaky steps to retrieve it.
He did it.
Next stop, Elysium.
Elysium was nothing like he'd ever seen before, and he felt like he'd never get used to just how verdant it was. Its temperature was a welcome reprieve from the suffocating heat of Asphodel, and the lush green grass was much softer under his feet than the magma. It smelled clean and though he'd never been to the surface, he imagined this was what fields of Chloris's flowers smelled like.
Unfortunately, the shades were also nothing like he'd ever seen or fought before. The place was crawling with exalted shades, all searching for the glory they'd achieved when they were living. Shades of soldiers with spears, bows, and shields were around every corner, and they hit hard. He had taken a few too many spears to his shoulders and legs, and he lost a lot more blood than he would've liked. He managed to find one of Charon's wells and bought something to eat to replenish his energy, but he still dreaded going to the next chamber.
He approached the two chamber doors after slaying the last shade, and his options were a centaur heart or coins as a reward. He did just drop a few on Charon's well, but he was also feeling pretty woozy from the blood loss, so… centaur heart was the way to go.
He felt a shift in the air as soon as he walked through the chamber door. There was a slight chill, sharper than what was typical for Elysium. Then, the toll of a bell and a flash of green light.
"Death approaches."
Yuuji felt his heart stop. He knew that voice.
"Thought you could just get away from me, did you?" Megumi asked, floating above him and looking ethereal in the Elysium light. Yuuji's heart felt like it shattered into a million pieces, thoughts roaring in his head in a way that made it impossible to grip onto just one. But the overwhelming majority all pointed to anger and hurt.
"Megumi. I figured it was only a matter of time before Sukuna sent you after me to do his dirty work," Yuuji spat out. He really didn't want his first time seeing Megumi after his escape to be like this, and the look on Megumi's face told him he felt the same way. They were both too proud to admit it, though.
"Yuuji. Is that really why you think I'm here? Let's see how many of these exalted champions you can send back to their dooms, unless you'd rather I would send you back to yours. Here come Sukuna's forces."
"Let them come," Yuuji said through gritted teeth. If a competition was what Megumi wanted, then so be it.
The first wave of shades came as Yuuji jumped right into action. Megumi lifted his scythe and swung, taking out a good half a dozen shades. Yuuji tightened his grip on his sword and slashed at the closest shade, but Megumi was already winning their competition by a healthy margin. He felt ire burn through him, hot and suffocating like the magma of the River Phlegethon. He was starting to get sloppy with his fighting, as another spear shot right into his leg after he left himself open.
"Be more careful," Megumi chastised as more of Yuuji's blood stained the grass surrounding them. He scoffed in reply and sliced the next shade that approached him. More and more shades kept appearing, and he thought the onslaught would never end. He started thinking it was a tactic to keep him there forever, fighting and killing over and over again for eternity to keep him chained in Sukuna's realm.
Finally, after what truly felt like an eternity, the last shade fell and the chamber was emptied. Yuuji claimed his reward and felt slightly better as the centaur heart stopped most of his wounds from bleeding, and looked to find Megumi by the chamber's exit.
"You left," Megumu began as Yuuji approached him, "Without so much as telling me goodbye. I suppose you knew I'd catch up with you sooner or later, is that it? No escaping death, and all?" Yuuji felt a lump form in his throat from the hurt in his voice. Is that what he thought?
"I left when it was necessary. I thought of you and hoped you'd understand. I have to do this." Yuuji swallowed, steeling himself and trying with all that he could to maintain his resolve. It was always so hard to talk to Megumi when he was like this. He teleported away just when their conversations got too personal, when they were too close to revealing just how he really felt.
"That's more motivation than I've ever heard from you," Okay, fair, but ouch. "Well, if you won't say it then I will. Goodbye, Yuuji." And just like he always did, he disappeared in a flash of green light with the toll of a bell. With a sigh, Yuuji left for the next chamber.
He didn't make it very far after his encounter with Megumi, which irked him to absolutely no end. He once again emerged from the River Styx after another failed attempt, shaking blood from his hair. He walked further down the hall, expecting some snarky remark from Toge, but when he looked to his left he saw his post empty. Maybe he was on break. He approached the West Wing where, blessedly, Gojo was standing ever dutifully at his post.
"Gojo!" Yuuji exclaimed, running up to his trainer.
"Yuuji! How'd your last run go, are you making any progress?" Gojo smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. It never did.
"I think so, I was able to make it back to Elysium, but the shades there are ruthless. I actually… ran into Megumi while I was out there. Did Sukuna put him up to that?" Yuuji couldn't help but ask. He felt awful assuming the worst about Megumi's intentions, but his attempts at leaving had put everyone in the House on edge. Everyone except Gojo, who had been his trainer and number one motivator. He thanked every lucky star for him.
"That I can't say for certain. But it looks like he's brooding in his usual spot, so you could go ask," Gojo suggested, nodding his head in Megumi's direction. Sure enough, he was standing by the railing at the end of the West Hall, looking over the River Styx. He thanked Gojo and tentatively made his way to Megumi, bottle of nectar in hand as a peace offering.
"Megumi… I'm sorry I left without telling you. You know more than anyone how much getting out of here means to me, but… I still should've told you. Here," Yuuji started, holding out the nectar.
"You're giving this to me? Why?" Megumi asked, gazing curiously with a look that almost seemed distrustful at the bottle. It didn't escape Yuuji's attention that he pointedly disregarded what he'd said before handing over the bottle.
"Consider it a peace offering. Look, I don't want this to change anything. My leaving has nothing to do with you so just take the bottle," Yuuji urged, pushing the bottle closer to him.
"Fine, I'll take it.” He was still ignoring Yuuji’s words. “But take this in return, I don't want to be indebted to you," Megumi grumbled, reaching into his robe. Yuuji was about to argue that the point of his offering was the opposite of having Megumi owe him, but he stopped when he saw the purple butterfly pin in Megumi's outstretched hand.
"You're… Megumi, this is beautiful. Thank you," Yuuji gasped, gently taking the small pin into his own hands.
"Don't mention it. Bye." And with that, Megumi disappeared again. But Yuuji felt a little better about it this time, even if they didn't actually get to talk about Yuuji's escape.
He decided that would be fine. Yuuji had some assumptions about Megumi assisting him in his escape attempt, and there would be more opportunities in the future if his assumptions were correct.
The next time Yuuji beat Lernie, he felt a bit of hope rise in his chest that he'd see Megumi again. The last few attempts had ended with him dying in Asphodel, but he finally managed to get past Lernie. Since Megumi first popped up in Elysium, maybe he'd show up again. He desperately needed to talk to him again, to clear the air between them and go back to how things were before Yuuji tried escaping for the first time. They had been so close, even with Megumi being so busy. Yuuji missed him, a terrible, aching feeling that felt almost as strong as his desire to leave. Almost.
He knew he should've talked to Megumi about his escape, but he also knew he'd just try and stop him from leaving, and Yuuji wouldn't even be able to blame him. They'd both be fighting a losing battle, and it would've been too painful to look Megumi in the eyes and say goodbye. So he didn't, and prayed he'd understand.
Yuuji was too lost in thought as he traversed through Elysium, and he was shaken back to reality by the toll of a bell. His heart leapt into his throat as Megumi appeared in front of him.
"Up for another challenge, Yuuji?" He asked, readying his scythe as shades began appearing.
"Always am, Megumi."
Yuuji was still getting used to fighting in Elysium, but he was able to hold his own better than the first time he and Megumi competed like this. He gave the shades fewer opportunities to land a hit on him, and he fought less hastily than last time. He knew Megumi was still winning, but at least the margin had been slightly smaller.
The last wave of shades disappeared with a well-timed strike from Yuuji's sword, stealing the kill from Megumi who scoffed in response. Heh, take that, O God of Death. Yuuji claimed his reward and ran towards Megumi, who waited again by the chamber exit. He opened his mouth to say something, but Megumi beat him to it.
"Yuuji, listen to me. I want you to come home. Voluntarily." Yuuji felt his heart drop and his hopes plummet. "It's not just you swept up in this mess, and I know you didn't ask me to get involved. But honestly, what did you expect?" Megumi never begged for anything, but this was the closest thing to pleading Yuuji had ever heard from him. Guilt flooded through him, but he knew he couldn't give in. Not when he was getting closer to reaching his brother.
"Megumi… Home is never going to be the same for me," Yuuji started, begging for Megumi to understand. He put a hand on his waist, praying futilely, and a bit hypocritically that it might stop him from disappearing again. "There's no use trying to pretend. I have to go."
Hurt flashed in Megumi's eyes, and Yuuji's grip tightened on his waist. He wanted so, so desperately for him to understand, for him to give Yuuji his support. Megumi meant everything to him, and seeing him like this truly broke his heart. He hated what had become of them, and he hated even more that he was the reason for it. But Yuuji couldn't turn back. He had made it so far, and he would continue to go further with or without Megumi's help. Despite his arguing, he knew Megumi knew it, too.
"You don't have to do anything of the sort," Megumi argued, and he could feel him tense under his hold. He'd be gone any second.
"Megumi, please. You know how out of place I am in the House, I never truly belonged there."
"You do belong there. With us, with… with me," he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. "Why can't that be enough to make you stay?" Megumi stared resolutely at him, eyebrows furrowed and mouth drawn in a taut frown. His scythe was once again resting on his back, and Yuuji noticed his hand twitch, like he was reflexively trying to reach for it. He was running out of time.
"That's not it! Megumi, you know that's not it. I— my brother, he… I have to find him. Please, try to understand." Yuuji was begging, and as close to crying as he could ever remember being. Why was this feeling more like a goodbye than their last encounter, where Megumi had actually said the word?
"I do understand, Yuuji. I understand perfectly fine." His voice was cold, a stark contrast to the warmth of Elysium surrounding them. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more souls to collect. Goodbye." Yuuji gripped Megumi's waist again, his hopes of fixing things between them slipping through his fingers as he opened his mouth as if to beg him to stay, but his effort was in vain. Megumi disappeared in a flash of green and once again, Yuuji found himself alone.