Capítulo 27: The Bigger Picture: Dots Connect
"Loyalty is a rare commodity. Don't take it for granted. A rejected friend is a potential adversary."
(POV: Ryomen Sukuna)
I was walking away from the funeral, towards the dorms in the academy.
I expected Johan to lash out at me, but it was Ryogaku instead of him. He was quiet, too quiet, today.
It is not as if I am completely indifferent to Anny's death, even though I did not spend too much time with her, I still considered her a friend.
But, I will not go out of my way to get revenge for her or any such thing, such emotions will only create more problems.
If I were to describe what I'm feeling, it would be as if I lost an expensive pen.
It doesn't bug me too much, but it's also not like I don't care at all.
Johan seemed the saddest out of the three. That was expected though.
I was sure that Johan would end up with Anny, observing their interactions and intimacy.
The chemistry of them both was explosive, they made one of the best teams I had ever seen.
Anyways, I should leave this topic for later, right now, the more important people are Eva and Nect.
I called Nect to check if she's fine.
As for Eva, I got information from a hospital about her condition.
She's currently stable, recovering at a good pace. Her arm was regrown by healers, but it will be weak for the next few weeks. As for the other injuries, they were completely healed.
She's sleeping right now, and I'll be going to visit her.
But actually, I did not expect her to fight the demons head-on, I thought that she would just escape and not put her life in danger, so I'm still inclined to believe that there was a reason for this.
But thinking about this now will not give me any answers, so I'll wait until she wakes up.
.
(A little while later...)
I have been sitting in this hospital room, beside her bed, for about 40 minutes.
It was not that boring actually, I made a beat from the sound of the heart rate monitor beeping.
As I was playing the beat, banging my hands on the table, I noticed some movement in my peripheral vision.
I looked to my right and saw Eva's hands twitch, she was about to wake up.
I went closer to the bed, waiting patiently for her to awaken.
She slowly opened her eyes, and looked at me.
"Sukuna..."
She said silently, but her voice carried uncertainty and impatience.
"I saw him..."
She said with some difficulty, her voice a low whisper, almost wheezing as she managed to push out those words.
"...I saw that man." Tears threatened to fall from her eyes.
Now this is interesting, this means that the person who murdered her family is possibly a demon.
If that is the case, then taking revenge would be more difficult, as demons are inherently stronger than humans.
"I fought him..."
She said, looking away from my eyes, I could see despair, shame, and determination in her eyes at the same time.
"...and ended up like this"
I could see her eyes getting wet, even though she was looking away from me.
But, not a single tear fell, she steeled her resolve and said...
"I have to become stronger, so please... help me, Sukuna"
She looked me straight in the eyes while saying this, I could feel her unshakeable resolve.
This outcome is very beneficial for me.
If I am the one who trains her, then her loyalty to me will be concrete.
"I hear your determination Eva. Rest for now, we will start your training once you recover"
I said as I got up and started to walk out of the room.
As if remembering something, her eyes widened as she called me out.
I turned back, my eyes locking with hers.
She had a smile on her face, one which wasn't forced, but a genuine, wide smile.
"Happy birthday," she said, her tone soft, as if she didn't get bodied by her archenemy an hour ago.
I smiled back, nodding before walking away.
"Oh, and by the way..."
I said, still going towards the door. She turned her head towards me.
"...I left cake on the table"
I said, leaving the room, a little smirk on my face as I closed the door behind me.
She exhaled with a smile.
"Of course you did"
.
.
.
(POV: Nect Arine)
I was lying in the hospital bed. I don't know why I had to stay here, it's sooo boring.
Moreover, it's filled with crying and whimpering people. I hope they die from their injuries so that I can be in peace.
I was asked to stay in the hospital for some check ups, even though I wasn't injured at all from the attack.
When they told that to me, my first response was...
"What attack?"
I didn't feel like I was being attacked.
Sure, a few new people fell unconscious around me like they normally did.
Some had this edgy black mist around them which disappeared when they fell.
I thought that they were people, just roleplaying ominous using that mist.
Turns out they were attackers who destroyed the whole academy, including all that food in the cafeteria... what a waste.
All that cake I could've eaten has now turned to ashes.
"Never gonna give you up!"
I heard a song playing next to me, my phone was ringing.
I picked it up.
"Never gonna let you down!"
Sukuna was calling me. Maybe for more cake?
I picked up the call, putting the phone on speaker and throwing it to the bed.
"Hallo, it's an honor that you called me," I said, a smirk forming on my face as I did so.
From the other side, I could hear him audibly sigh. He was so fun to tease, after all, he's the only one I've been able to tease since Clara.
Some bad memories started to resurface. My brows furrowed as I remembered the scenes from my childhood.
I quickly pushed those thoughts away, the usual smile returning to my face.
"Well, I just called to ask if you're fine after the attack," he said, his voice serious.
My smirk disappeared from my face as quickly as it formed.
My eyes widened as I heard those words. It might be the first time they have been said to me.
"I'm fine," I managed to whisper, but it seemed to not reach him, as he said: "What was that?"
"I said I'm fine!" I shouted, my voice still slightly trembling as I struggled to keep myself composed.
"Okay! Fine, jeez, no need to burst out," he muttered, his voice still carrying doubt.
"Why...why do you ask?" I stammered out, trying to keep my usual act on.
"Just checking," he mumbled. "Anyways, if you're fine then it's all good. I'll come to meet you soon. Take care of yourself."
Before I could say anything, he cut the call.
I couldn't think at that moment. I fell back to the bed, closing my eyes as a memory resurfaced.
"I think we'll need more today."
"Just use that one...Nect, was it?"
"Alright, I'll see you in... about an hour then?"
"Fine, at the same place."
The sound of footsteps echoed, getting closer to me every second, until a man was standing right in front of me.
This man was...
My eyes shot open, I realized that tears were falling from my eyes.
I quickly wiped them using the bedsheet and sat back up again.
I looked at my phone, which had a chat with Sukuna opened.
A smile unknowing bloomed on my face. Maybe I've found my family, Clara, Finn.
.
.
.
(POV: Ryomen Sukuna)
I was looking out of the window of the car I was sitting in.
The scenery was quite good, the roads had well-grown vegetation on either side, which, along with the sun about to set, painted a beautiful picture.
Training Nect just like Eva will be good for gaining loyalty from her.
But, I can't help but be soft towards her, I closed my eyes, an image of her popping up in my mind... she was a splitting image of my sister.
It would also be a problem if she falls for me, which happens a lot in these kind of stories, as I would probably never be able to return that love.
I do love Nect, undoubtedly. But my love for her is as a sister, not a lover.
"We have arrived"
A gruff voice broke my train of thought.
It was the driver, who got out and opened the door for me.
I am currently at the security department of the ITAAS Academy.
My dad was called to investigate the case of the attacks along with a few other people.
I requested him to allow me to look at the CCTV footage of the attack on ITAAS, which was not difficult for him to get.
I entered the building and was guided to the recordings' room, where my father, along with another person, would be waiting for me.
As I entered the room, I noticed that the atmosphere was extremely serious and tense.
Two people were sitting on chairs facing a computer screen, which had a paused video.
As I closed the door behind me, both of them turned around, looking at me.
"Right on time," the men sitting to the left said.
He was Don Hawkes, a senior investigator who had worked with my father for years.
My father, Eiji Ryomen, simply nodded and gestured me to sit next to him, on a chair placed there.
The naming system of this world places the person's name first, and then the surname.
But, the Ryomen family has always placed their family name before, hence, my, as well as my father's, name was Ryomen Sukuna, and Ryomen Eiji.
However, my father decided to follow the normal naming convention, having his family name after his own name.
Although, in most records, he is still Ryomen Eiji.
I sat down on the chair given to me.
Don fiddled with the computer, the video started to play, showing nine cameras at once.
After the video ended, I saw both of them looking at me, probably waiting for my thoughts on it.
"Watching this video, one thing is clear..." I said, my voice as grave as it could be.
"And that is...?" My dad asked, an expectant smile on his face.
. . .
. . .
. . .
"They were targeting Anny"
I said. I could hear a chuckle escape both of their lips.
"It's not that easy to deduce, the hints are quite subtle... you may have talent as an investigator"
Don said, fixing his posture to a straighter one.
"What else do you think?" My father asked me, the smile not leaving his face.
"Anny being targeted is pretty important here. The assassination of the Royal Family of England just before this seems to have a connection."
I was not looking directly at him, but I could see that my dad's smile was getting bigger.
"So it is possible that this is the work of some country, or some high ranking official, maybe even an independent organized group, to either take over England, or to destroy it, or to fulfil some personal hatred with the Royal Family..."
I continued, taking a breath...
"...If it is a country, we can get leads by observing which countries are most eager to obtain ownership of the land of England."
I tapped the armrest of my chair with my finger.
"If it is a high-ranking official, we would need to do a thorough search throughout the ranks, which will prove to be extremely troublesome."
"In conclusion, this attack is the part of a much larger scheme."
I said, putting up most of my thoughts to them, which made them quite surprised.
"I told you, didn't I?" My dad said to Don with a smug smile.
"Yeah yeah" He said back to my dad, not looking at him.
Then he turned to me and said...
"As you can see, this situation concerns many countries, maybe even the whole world, and participating in this can be a threat to your life."
He paused.
"Do you still wish to help with this investigation?"
He said with a serious face, which I responded to with a smirk.
"Where's the fun without danger?"
Both of them nodded, as if expecting this answer. But, I wasn't done yet.
"Although..." I said, which immediately got their attention, their heads turning to look at me.
"I'll do the research independently," I said, my voice carrying a mischievous undertone.
The eyes of both of them widened. Don tried to open his mouth, to discourage me from doing so.
But, looking at my determined expression, he gave up.
I got up form my seat, and walked to the door, giving them a peace sign as I walked out.
.
.
.
"He is so much like you, it's scary."
A coarse voice echoed in the silent room. This was Don Hawkes, who was talking to Eiji Ryomen.
"Yeah, seems like he will do great no matter which field he chooses..." Eiji says as he leans back on his chair.
He took a breath before continuing: "He is my son after all," a smug smile laced his face as he closed his eyes.
"Tch, shut up, just look at these," Don said, his tone impatient and annoyed as he threw a file towards Eiji, who caught it perfectly.
Opening the file, he read the contents.
But, his mind was wandering somewhere else.
He might be a calculating, heartless tyrant, but he genuinely loves and cares for his son.
He cannot help but think about how dangerous the waters, in which his son is diving into, are.
'Just be safe, Sukuna.'
He thought, the only sound filling the room was a periodic tapping of a pen on the table.
=====================================
Nect is a joke character I asked nectar to build.
So I did what anyone would do, thought how I could make her the most important person to the mc and gave her a tragic backstory :>
Also, exam pressure is eating me, so I couldn't post this chapter sooner, I'm sorry :<
Btw, Sukuna and Nect will have a sibling relationship, I REPEAT, a sibling relationship.
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HUGE CHAPTER btw, 2400 words :>
Comment ur thoughts, and gimme POWER STONES
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