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No matter what anyone said, this was not Sukuna's fault. No, really. He had no say in it, it was simply something that was thrust upon him by the cruel forces of the universe - the only ones he could think of that potentially surpassed him in terms of power. The cosmos enjoyed toying with him, he had concluded, since he alone could challenge it. It constantly forced him in…unfortunate situations, such as, well, dying for one thing, then a thousand years of less-than-existing in a heavy void, and then -the most ridiculous of all- sharing a body with an annoyingly durable teenager. It had become clear that this was not his millenia, so it was only fair to assume he was not to blame for the feeling that had creeped up on him.
He first noticed it when the boy's first week of isolation was coming to an end. Gojo Satorou, the supposed strongest sorcerer, had made it clear that the brat had to remain hidden until he became strong enough to defend himself from the higher-ups’ attempts to end him - without having Sukuna intervene, that is. Sukuna had scoffed at that from his spot in the boy's subconscious. As if he would ever willingly defend the brat. He was of no use to him, and his death would only mildly impact him. Even with the power of seventeen of his fingers, there still wouldn't be anyone strong enough to even dare challenge him. If that number decreased however…he refused to think about that. For the time being, the brat was nothing but a nuisance to him, one he would be happy to be rid of. The sorcerer had also tasked his vessel with endlessly watching moving pictures -“movies”, as the boy had informed him with a chuckle when it had become obvious Sukuna was unfamiliar with the concept- whose themes varied and most of which were frankly quite boring . To Sukuna, at least, because his vessel seemed to disagree.
Sukuna could sense the vast array of emotions that the boy experienced as he consumed the content he was given with determination and eagerness. He had gotten the hang of controlling his cursed energy surprisingly fast -something the curse had to begrudgingly applaud- but his emotions still got the better of him from time to time. Due to the lack of contact with the outside world and of information about current developments, Sukuna found himself with nothing to do other than accompany the boy in his Odyssey of movie-watching -not that he'd ever tell him that, of course. But it was during what was characterized as a tragedy -he frankly thought the film to be quite amusing- that he first felt the need to interact with his vessel.
The main character, a goody-two-shoes bland heroine who had spent the majority of the film trying to raise her child as an only-parent with only the help of her father, was now bidding goodbye to said father as he succumbed to the effects of cancer. The ending had more or less been set up early on in the film, and so Sukuna observed with little interest. His vessel, however…a wave of negative emotions washed over him, passing straight through Sukuna's soul. It was an odd sentiment that he had become unfamiliar with ever since he had shed his humanity away to become a curse, but he recalled it being something akin to..grief? Loss? Pain, clearly, but there was something more to it.
It must've thrown off the kid's concentration, because the cursed doll in his arms stirred for the first time in over a day, and promptly punched him in the face. The boy let out a pained groan and threw the doll away, quickly regaining his composure and causing it to collapse before it reached him again.
“Fuck” the boy muttered, rubbing his nose where the doll had punched him.
“Sentimental, are we?”
“Shut up”
Sukuna let out a chuckle that he made sure the brat heard. Usually, he didn't feel the need to speak to him, and avoided any reminder that they were tethered to each other as strongly as they were. The swerve of negative emotions had piqued his interest however. It was the first time he had sensed this much vulnerability from the boy, perhaps he could use it to his benefit.
“If death affects you this badly, then I believe you've made a poor career choice.”
In all truth, it wasn't much of a choice, Sukuna knew. It was either this, or death. Even though he would never admit it, saving people was only half the reason the kid had chosen to become a sorcerer. For all his righteousness, the curse was fairly certain he had no desire to die.
“It's not that”, the boy sighed. “It just reminded me…of gramps.”
From atop his throne, Sukuna raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
“My grandfather. He…died, right before all of this happened. Before…well, before you.”
Oh, was that so? The boy had lost a family member he hadn't gotten a proper chance to mourn. Through the boy's eyes, he could see his hands fidgeting. This was clearly a sensitive topic. The side of the curse’s mouth twitched, but before he could think of a way to use this information, the brat spoke again:
“I guess getting caught up in all of this kept my mind off the fact that he was gone, though, so…uh, thanks, I guess. At least not everything about you sucks.” He let out an uneasy chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.
For a moment, Sukuna found himself searching for an answer. The brat was…thanking him? For what? Invading his body and sentencing him to death? Accidentally distracting him from the loss of a loved one didn't go a long way to make up for that, he thought. Other people died all the time, but one's own death only came once. It was by no means a fair trade. The King of Curses wasn't fair , so he didn't mind, but it was still odd.
In an attempt to hide his momentary confusion, he sprawled his legs and leaned back on his throne atop his shrine of bones. “I assure you, brat, your peace of mind was no plan of mine”
“Whatever”, the boy scoffed, pausing the film and rewinding it to the point it was before the doll had come to life. He didn't press play immediately. Instead, he opted to sit in silence for a few minutes before speaking again. “Hey, Sukuna?”
“What?”
He hesitated. Then, as if he decided there wasn't much that could possibly worsen his situation, he asked: “Did you ever lose someone you loved?”
The silence that followed was not planned. But, for the second time in a single conversation, the brat had caught Sukuna off guard. It was as if his mind actually searched through his memories for an answer.
“Why would you ask me that?”
"Just curious.”
“The death of others does not concern me. If I'm not the cause of it, I am indifferent towards it.”
“You're telling me you've never cared for anyone ? That's kinda sad to be honest”
Sukuna felt a wave of anger built inside of him. How dared he? He was a god , the King of Curses. He did not mourn , he did not love. Why would he? Love was the art of the weak, a way for them to lift each other up because none of them could stand on their own. Sukuna was strong, he always had been. He had never needed anyone.
He sensed the brat tap the side of his head with his finger. “Hey, Sukuna-san, you still there?”
The demon in question smirked, making sure to mask his anger well. “You truly think a king is in need of such trivial things? I'd argue you are the one that is pathetic.”
“I never said you were pathetic”, the boy argued. “Just saying, even the King of Curses must've felt the need to talk to someone from time to time. Even if it was to gloat over all the people you had massacred that day.” His eye-roll did not go unnoticed, but Sukuna let it slide, his thoughts preoccupied. He did use to have Uraume by his side back when he was alive. The monk had always been loyal, and Sukuna had valued their presence. He had never stopped to wonder whether he would mourn their death.
Why the brat cared for any of this was beyond him. Sukuna had done nothing but torment him, both mentally and physically, from the moment they had merged. He'd never given the kid any indication that he was capable of feelings other than wrath, vengeance, or bloodlust.
“If you persist on this, I will gloat about massacring your loved ones to their lifeless corpses.”
The boy frowned, but didn't speak again. Instead, he pressed a button on the remote, which caused the movie to resume. This time, he went through the ‘goodbye scene’ without triggering any attacks, but Sukuna could still sense a faint sense of grief overcome his vessel. The boy fell asleep before the movie ended, and in his dreams there was an old man with a frown that yelled at him -a much younger version of him- to stop running. The boy felt nothing but love for the elder however, and Sukuna quickly deduced that must've been the freshly departed grandfather.
It had been over a thousand years since the King of Curses had been forced to experience any emotion resembling care and worry. Even back when he was human, he had given up on forming bonds with others early on. Love had only ever led to pain, and so, it wasn't worth it. It was a choice he had yet to regret. He didn't love , he possessed . People, curses, power. He only knew how to take. The boy was very much unlike him in that regard. His vessels’s first -and most dominant- instinct was to give . He would give away his future, his happiness, his very life, until there was no more of him left to give. It was almost painful to watch. It caused something inside of the curse to stir, a sort of protectiveness for the boy. No, not that, it was possessiveness he felt. Yes, that sounded better. It was his vessel, after all, the brat was bound to him, which by default made him Sukuna's property. The King of Curses didn't love, but he also didn't tolerate anything that threatened what was his .
The feeling that creeped up on him that night was a surprise. But the universe had forced him and the brat together, and so he was now responsible for his vessel's well-being. It was that simple, and he had no choice in the matter. In conclusion, it was not Sukuna's fault.
****************
“SUKUNA!”
The boy's scream was so strong that it rattled the curse’s shrine, causing skulls to topple and fall into the pool of blood that surrounded his throne. With a roll of his eyes, Sukuna allowed a mouth to form on the brats's cheek.
“What?” he asked, masking his annoyance under a sadistic grin. The middle of battle was not the time for discussion, did that sensei of his teach him nothing? He'd get himself hurt .
The boy's arms tightened around the corrupted creature's torso. “I'll do anything, whatever you want, if you heal Junpei like you did me!”
There was panic in his voice, and it set Sukuna's nerves on edge. He didn't like it, he realized. Junpei, he assumed, must be the boy his vessel had spent the past few days observing and, unfortunately, getting close to. He had never bothered to learn his name, but the brat seemed to value his life enough to beg Sukuna to bring him back from his transfigured state. Sukuna himself couldn't care less whether the other boy died. In his current state he wouldn't last much longer, and the curse thought it would be easier to just put him out of his misery than pointlessly try to save him.
However…the desperation that overtook his vessel was so intense that it made Sukuna want to rip the stitches off that other curse’s face and his head along with them. Soul transfiguration was a tricky technique that even his mastery of reverse-curse technique might not manage to combat. Even if he wanted to, he probably couldn't do anything to heal the transfigured teenager. The thought of something he couldn't do only fueled his anger.
Letting out a sigh, he lifted his head from his palm and fully focused on the situation his vessel was in. He was pinned to the wall by the once-human boy, and the curse responsible for said transformation stood a few meters back, smiling like a maniac.
Worth a shot , he thought before muttering: “Encain”.
Taking control of their shared body always felt like coming up for air after having been underwater for too long, invigorating. His second set of eyes opened, only verifying what the first had registered.
He pushed the transfigured human to the side with ease, landing gracefully on the floor. He buried his hands in his - Yuuji’s , he had to remember his vessel's name- pockets and eyed the curse in front of him with a certain boredom. “So”, he began, “How long will you keep trying to kill me?”
The change in his opponent's resolve was instant. His smile wavered, and genuine fear made itself prominent in his eyes. It brought Sukuna unimaginative satisfaction to know he still had that effect, even to newly formed curses. “N-Not you”, the creature stuttered, trying -failing- to maintain his calm. “The boy”
“My vessel.” Sukuna corrected.
The curse gulped. “I wouldn't think the King of Curses would allow himself to be tied to a mere human.”
He was subconsciously taking small steps back, away from Sukuna, and that only made the pleasure inside the stronger curse grow. For all his showmanship, the soul manipulator failed to sound convincing.
“It is on me to decide whether or not the parts of my soul inside this brat are expandable”, he said, and with a flick of his hand a slash hit the space above the other curse's head, causing a few of his hair to fall to the ground. His pact with his vessel prevented him from causing anyone harm, but his opponent needed not know that. “Am I clear?”
The other's eye twitched, but his wicked smile remained as he nodded. “Of course”
Sukuna had half a mind to demand his finger to be returned to him, but he was running out of time, and he still hadn't done what he had come to do. “Good. And while you're at it, fool, bring back the other boy as well.”
There was evident confusion on the curse’s face. Sukuna couldn't blame him, even he couldn't believe the words that had come out of his mouth. But if he allowed Junpei to die, it would cause his vessel misery that would burden him for weeks to come, misery that would, unavoidably, weigh upon Sukuna as well. He couldn't let his vessel suffer like that.
“What does he have to do with anything?” the spirit questioned.
Sukuna raised an eyebrow in amusement. “What makes you think I am under any obligation to answer?”
Something in the curse’s state changed then, unsteady arms slowly rising. “Oh”, he began, “Don't tell me that the almighty King has gotten attached ?”
The anger that had been building up overflowed in a moment's notice. Pact be damned he was going to obliterate that disrespecting fool . He could later argue that, to Yuuji, a curse wasn't someone, and so technically he hadn't broken any oath.
Before he had the chance to come to his senses and not risk his life fighting for the brat, his time was up, and he found himself falling back in his domain in his vessel's subconscious. With an annoyed huff, he climbed back atop his throne and refused to observe any more developments of the outside world. The only thing that registered was that the other boy, indeed, died soon after. Sukuna hadn't saved him, and Yuuji would mourn him. It would be a lie to say that didn't sit quite right.
****************
Goddammit, not again. Yuuji was getting attached. Again.
He had been spending more and more time with his fellow first-years ever since he came back, but Sukuna was just now realizing how much his affection for them had grown. He viewed them as friends . And that was a problem. His friends could -quite possibly would- die. The brat didn't need anyone else dying on him.
But it wasn't just affection that he sensed, there was also…attraction? Fuck, that was even worse. When his companions inevitably perished -Yuuji wouldn't, Yuuji had Sukuna looking out for him- the boy wouldn't just lose friends, he could lose a lover as well. Whether his desires were aimed toward the boy or the girl, the curse didn't know. It had become evident a while back that Yuuji ‘swang both ways’, if that was the way to put it. Sukuna saw no problem with that, sex was sex after all. But he didn't have enough insight into the boy's thoughts to know who his current crush actually was, and so who he had to force the brat to distance himself from.
He felt the warmth creeping up on the boy's cheeks as he bid them farewell one afternoon and groaned in annoyance. “Bad move, brat.”
The boy didn't even flinch as he walked. He was getting used to Sukuna's presence. The curse wasn't sure how he felt about that. The boy did frown however. “What do you mean?”
“Making friends is one thing, seeking to find a partner in all of this? Did you think this through?”
The blush came back full force, and the boy pursed his lips tightly to stop himself from grimacing. Sukuna almost thought it was funny. “Stop getting in my head, dude.” the brat muttered.
“I am already in your head, idiot. And don't ever call me ‘dude’.”
Running a hand through his hair, Yuuji did his best to regain his composure as they crossed paths with a second-year. The cursed speaker only nodded at first, but went as far as exclaiming “Salmon!” when Yuuji waved at him. Sukuna had to admit the white-haired boy amused him. He was a strong ally, as far as sorcerers went, and his limited vocabulary made him tolerable to be around. Cursed speech was also one of the few techniques that he somewhat respected, even if the kid had a long way to go to truly master it.
After the other was out of hearing range, Yuuji furrowed his eyebrows. “Why do you care who I date?”
Making a show of sitting comfortably on his throne (whether or not the boy could see him was of little importance), Sukuna smirked. “You're my vessel, brat. Everything you do concerns me.”
"Since when?”
“Since always. There simply wasn't anything worth interfering with up ‘till now.”
“Oh, what, the countless times I almost died weren't important then?”
Sukuna could feel the boy's growing confusion and it amused him to no end. “You didn’t die, did you?”
He allowed the sentence to linger between them for a moment. He knew the boy must be pondering the implications of it. In truth, it wasn't really that deep. Sukuna only made sure to heal the brat whenever an injury he suffered might”ve proven to be fatal, remaining unnoticed by not allowing for a full recovery. Something akin to pride flared within the curse as he realized there hadn't been many times when his reverse-curse technique had been needed. The brat was resilient. His vessel was growing strong.
There was a shift in the boy's emotions then, and his next words were hardly above a whisper. “Junpei-kun wasn't worth your time either.”
To be frank, he wasn't. Sukuna had never seen any point in rescuing the human. If anything, it was good that he had perished then, before his bond with his vessel had grown any more. Yuuji had been burdened by the loss, perhaps he still was, but he had recovered fairly fast from it. That being said…Sukuna had attempted to salvage the other teenager from his cruel fate. There wasn't much he could've done in less than a minute and without using brute force. He was beginning to think this deal of theirs, the one that forbade him from causing harm in the minute after forcibly taking over, was going to be more of a nuisance to the brat than it was to him. Sukuna could be very convincing when he was free to act as he pleased. He was the Strongest, afterall. But no current interests of his required him to be physically violent. The only times he did feel the need to use his strength in combat were to keep his vessel from irreparably damaging himself.
He realized he had been quiet for too long when he heard a sigh from the boy. He was opening the door to his dorm, throwing his bag to the side, and face-planting on the mattress of his bed. He turned his head to the side, so his mouth could be used for speech instead of just incoherent mumbling. “You could've tried”, he said quietly, “It wouldn't have cost you anything.”
Sukuna felt the erge to pat the boy's head in an attempt at comfort. If he had a separate form, maybe he would've done it. Was a pat on the head even comforting? He wouldn't know.
“Don't speak of things you know nothing about.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
He hesitated, at first. Then, cautiously, he responded: “A transfigured soul can't be healed.”
Yuuji’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. “You tried to heal him?”
Sukuna clenched his teeth. Answering ‘yes’ to that question would inevitably equate that he had failed. He hadn't failed. He was simply not allowed enough freedom and time to succeed. “The curse that altered the boy was not willing to negotiate.”
There, that was a decent enough answer. Not an outright confession of his not-success, but not a denial of his efforts to spare his vessel the pain of loss.
Sukuma could practically see the gears turning in his vessel's head. Then, the ghost of a smile formed on the kid's face. “Thank you, Sukuna-san”
That was the second time after their merge that the brat thanked him for something. Neither of those times had Sukuna felt as if he was deserving of his gratitude. It wasn't as if he sought it. He only desired to keep what was his from being ruined by the path he had been thrust on.
He was taken aback when the boy spoke to him again. “But stay out of my love life.”
An amused smirk crept upon the King of Curses’ face, and he noticed Yuuji’s smile had grown as well. “I will not be doing that. The last thing I need is sharing a mindspace with a heartbroken teenager.”
The boy pushed himself up with his hands. “Hey! I can handle my break-ups!”. Sukuna could've sworn he heard him laugh. He was not…appalled by the sound.
“Perhaps. But can you handle a lover's death?”
Yuuji was fully seated now, crossing his legs on the bed. “For one thing, stop calling them a ‘lover’, makes you sound old-”
“I am old.”
“Whatever. And for another, if you don't want anyone dying on me, make sure no-one does.”
Sukuna just knew the boy heard him scoff inside his head. “Or I should just kill anyone you start getting close to.”
The threat seemed to do nothing to dampen the boy's spirits. “As if I'd ever let you do that.”
“As if you'd have a say.”
A snicker rose from his vessel. He wasn't taking Sukuna seriously. Sukuna was dead serious. Well, maybe not ‘dead’, maybe ‘heavily injured’. In any case, he saw no reason for Yuuji to be this amused.
That discussion ended there, and his vessel went on to make dinner. If Sukuna had a physical mouth, the scents coming from the kitchen that evening -or any evening that Yuuji cooked- would have made it water. The brat’s cooking skills were the one consistently pleasant thing about him. It reminded the curse somewhat of Uraume, even though his servant’s mastery of the art was still unmatched. Still, it was a pleasant memory of a simple time, when Sukuna was free to massacre and torture as he pleased. When he had been free to live and free to die. He'd had that choice back then, and had always valued it greatly. Yuuji didn't have that. Thinking back on it, that must've been the moment the King decided he would burn anyone who tried to keep his vessel from regaining it.
****************
“I can't believe you did that!” the brat exclaimed.
It took Sukuna a moment to realize he was talking to him. They were alone now, back in the boy's room, and he was laying on the couch. His body was worn, his clothes tattered. Blood spilled from too many wounds for Sukuna to count. But he was alive, and he had returned victorious yet again. Sukuna roller his eyes and sent a wave of cursed energy through the boy, mending his wounds and soothing the pain in his bones. The kid let out a quiet hiss, but didn't comment.
“Did what?”
“Ate it!”
Ah, yes, the finger. After the battle with the two cursed wombs, the Ten Shadows sorcerer reclaimed one of Sukuna's digits but forbade his vessel from consuming it. As if Sukuna was going to allow them to keep him from his power! He had made a mouth appear on Yuuji’s palm and had promptly eaten the finger when the boy had tried to hold it. A laugh spilled from deep within him, his satisfaction immense. The more of his fingers he consumed, the stronger he became and the harder it would be for Yuuji to keep him contained. He had decided for a while now that his current vessel would have to see this through, carry him through the entire journey of his rebirth. It would be Yuuji that would be with him when all the power of the gods was his again, Yuuji and no-one else.
“I did you a favor, brat. The more fingers you consume, the stronger you grow.”
“No, you are the one that grows stronger!” snapped the boy, running his fingers through his hair and pulling at it in frustration.
Sukuna eyed his nails indifferently. “I see no difference.”
The boy's hands moved to rub his eyes as he frowned. “What do you mean ? Of course there's a difference! I don't want you to take over! And I- I don't…”, Sukuna was unaware if the boy realized how quiet his voice got as he confessed: “I don't want to die.”
The King of Curses could claim with a decent amount of confidence that he didn't have a heart. The frantic beating of the boy's own, however, at that moment caused an unpleasant feeling within him. He didn't like it, he decided. He needed it to stop, he needed the boy to calm down.
“You're not going to die.”, he stated.
There was water gathering up under the boy's eyes. “How can you know?”
Sukuna knew that he meant what he said with all his might. “You are not going to die,” he repeated, “Because I will not allow it.”
Silence.
“Alright?”
“Okay.”
****************
Yuuji was getting ready for a battle. No, not a battle. A war. All of the sorcerers were gathering in Shibuya, where a veil was trapping civilians inside. Such a bold move could only be interpreted as a declaration of war by the curses and curse users behind it. Sukuna knew that the brat was hoping the patchface demon was there, he wanted revenge.
Usually, Sukuna would've been more skeptical about allowing his vessel to enter a warzone, but there was something in that ward that drew him in as well, his own power. Somewhere in there lay more of his precious fingers, and he was going to find them, he would cut down any curse or sorcerer that tried to block his way.
The brat stood before the door of his dorm, ready to leave to join the others and head for the city. He didn't move forward, however. Instead, he closed his eyes and let out an unsteady breath.
“Hey, Sukuna-San?”
Before Sukuna had the chance to respond, the boy appeared in front of him. It had been ages since anyone had stood before the King of Curses without bowing down. Every nerve in Sukuna's body screamed at him that this was wrong, but he ignored the feeling. Thankfully, their current predicament didn’t last long, as Yuuji sat down cross legged before the throne. When had he learned how to enter his domain? It just now occurred to him that he hadn't been making any effort to keep the boy out.
The boy stared up at him from his spot on the ground. Sukuna crossed his legs and leaned back, letting his intrigue show. “Speak, brat.”
Whatever hesitations the kid had, he gulped them down. “I don't want to die.” he said.
Sukua thought that they'd been over this already. “I know.”
“I also don't want anyone else to die.”
“I know.”
"Including you.”
It was all Sukuna could do to keep his eyes from widening, even if only slightly. The boy couldn't be serious. He probably intended to follow up that sentence with an “Until I have gathered all of you so you'll be gone forever”, or something similar. But the boy didn't add anything else to his statement, and instead kept staring at him with something akin to expectation.
“That must be the most idiotic thing I've heard in centuries.” he mocked. What else was he to do?
It didn't seem to discourage the boy at all. He still appeared to be waiting for something. “I am never letting you take over”, he promised, “And I am never letting you hurt anyone that doesn't deserve it. But”, there was a smile then, slowly growing on his face, “I am also not going to let anyone else hurt you. I promise.”
Is he out of his mind? Sukuna thought that it was the most foolish promise he'd ever heard. He would protect him , the King of Curses, a god ? This must've been a joke. And even if it wasn't, how delusional, how insane must the brat be to wish for his well being? He had long sworn to burn the world. He did not recall ever stating he intended to go back on that promise.
“Why such sentimentality, brat?”
His vessel grinned sheepishly, and brought a hand to scratch the side of his head. “Well, for all your insistence on me not getting attached to anybody else”, he began, “You sure did manage to get me used to your presence.”
That was, indeed, something Sukuna hadn't taken into account. Quite frankly, he hadn't thought such an outcome possible. But the boy wasn't the type to mess with people like that, so that could only mean…he meant it. The mere absurdity of it all caused Sukuna to chuckle.
He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, arms resting on his knees, and brought his face as close to the brat’s as possible. “And why swear this now?” . It was a genuine question, but he hid it well behind an amused stare.
“Well, you know”, the brat mumbled, “I'm risking dying again. And, well, given your promise to not let that happen, I thought…maybe I should let you know the feeling is…mutual.”
The logic behind this was put together using a glue stick and its hold wasn't very strong, but it caused warmth to blossom in Sukuna's chest. The feeling, first and foremost, was odd and unknown, one he hadn't felt for centuries, even before becoming a curse. The King of Curses didn't love, and so he wasn't loved in return. Uraume’s loyalty had felt similar, but not the same. He knew they had stood beside him because of his fearful reputation, while Yuuji…Yuuji was doing it despite it.
He wasn't exactly sure how to react to this, so he did the first thing that came to mind. He raised his hand and patted the boy's head. Once, then twice, then he lowered his arm.
Yuuji looked up at him in momentary confusion before giggling under his breath. “You're not used to this, are you?”
Sukuna was, in fact, not. But he wouldn't give the brat more reason to laugh. “You just swore to protect the King of Curses” , he reminded him, “As impractical as that oath may be, I will at least get some entertainment from watching you try and keep it.”
The boy rolled his eyes. “You really need to learn how to accept affection, man” , he said as he was getting up. Then, god almighty, he finger-gunned him. Everything about that situation was absurd. “‘Cause there's a lot more where that came from.” the brat added. Then, with a sudden move, he slid down the hill of bones and landed at the bottom, blood splattering around him and tainting his clothes. Not his blood , Sukuna had to remind himself.
The boy kept walking away from the throne with a spring in his step. Sukuna could feel that something new had solidified in his vessel's heart, but he hadn't yet determined whether it was a welcome change. In any case, Yuuji seemed to be in good spirits, and that was always good before battle.
“Oh!”, the boy exclaimed, turning around once more, “By the way, if we run into Patchface, you're helping me kill him, right?”
The soul transfiguration curse. The one that had killed his vessel's friend and had accused Sukuna of attachment . How ridiculous. Yes, he would enjoy tearing this one apart.
He allowed a grin to spread across his face, as he called back: “Anyone daring to disobey me has already signed their death sentence.”
Yuuji returned his smile. The next moment, he was gone. Back in the real world, he felt the kid close the dorm door behind him and head to meet his companions, his friends -as unfortunate as that was.
Sukuna sat back on his throne and relaxed. He would return, he would bring chaos with him, and the world would burn. His desires hadn't changed. But there was no rush, he decided. For now, he would allow Yuuji to grow strong, and enjoy as much normality as a sorcerer could before his time was up. When the time came, Yuuji would be salvaged from the flames. His Yuuji would be safe. It was just how things were meant to be, he had no say in it. Ergo, Sukuna was not to blame.