Chương 27: NO. 27 - Mind Shift
[General POV]
Toga Kazuhito adjusted his tie as he stepped out of the love hotel behind him, ready to make the journey home now that some of his stress had been relieved. The dark bustling streets were alive with the sounds of honking horns, chattering pedestrians, and the distant strains of music wafting from nearby cafes.
Kazuhito was a man in his late forties with dark blonde hair and yellow eyes. He had an angular face with droopy, tired eyes. The man was dressed in his business attire while a suitcase swung back and forth in his hand.
He navigated through the throngs of people, his briefcase swinging lightly at his side. The aroma of street food filled the air, from sizzling ramen to sweet street desserts, tempting him to pause and indulge.
Exactly like he did with the whore he hired on a weekly bases. A habit he picked up ever since that monster did what she did. Ruining his family name.
Kazuhito's mind traveled back in time to when the demon that was once his daughter was once his sweet little girl. However, it all changed when he and his wife saw her holding a bleeding bird with a large, evil smile. It was then that he realized her true nature.
'Why? Why did I help give birth to a thing like that?' Kazuhito thought as he rubbed his tired face. 'Why couldn't she have been like her brother or sister?'
As he strolled along the crowded sidewalks, Kazuhito took in the sights of the city that once seemed so vibrant. Now, it was colorless and dull before his eyes. The muffled sounds of distant traffic faded as he turned into a dimly lit alley, seeking a shortcut to his car. Entering the parking lot where his car was located, Kazuhito reached into his pocket for his car keys.
Suddenly, his nose twitched as he sensed a presence behind him.
This was thanks to his quirk, which was called Blood Radar. His quirk allowed him to feel the presence of anyone with blood. However, it was rather weak and only expanded out to 2.5 meters.
Turning around, Kazuhito looked around at the empty parking lot with confusion.
"Did I imagine it?" Kazuhito muttered.
An unnerving silence fell over the parking lot; not even the constant sounds of the bustling city could be heard. Out of nowhere, the sound of approaching footsteps filled the once-quiet air. Before Kazuhito could react, a pair of strong hands grabbed him, pulling him into the darkness.
Panic surged through him as he struggled against their incredibly strong grip. But before he could yell for help, a cold liquid material slithered over his mouth before solidifying. Silencing him.
He caught a glimpse of the figure above him—It was a black hooded individual dressed in a white, high-collar shirt. But what caught Kazuhito's eyes were the tattoos on his attacker's face.
That and the large, bloodthirsty smile on his face.
Kazuhito's heart raced; he had no idea what the hooded figure wanted. All he knew was that this individual was much stronger than him. Despite that, Kazuhito tried his best to escape their hold before a heavy blow landed on the side of his head.
As his consciousness left him, Kazuhito heard the figure finally speak.
"Be sure to wake up soon, Toga-san," Sukuna said mockingly. "You and I have a lot to talk about."
x x x
[Shimizu Souta POV]
The room I stood in loomed large, an expanse of faded shadows that seem to stretch endlessly. The high ceiling was lost in the darkness, where cobwebs hang like tattered curtains, swaying slightly with the occasional draft. The air is thick and stale, carrying a musty odor.
Walls painted a once-bright color are now dulled by time, are cracked and peeling, and reveal the bare, rough stone beneath. In one corner, an old wooden chair stands as a solitary piece of furniture, its surface scratched and splintered.
Flickering light from a solitary overhead bulb casts erratic shadows across the floor, where dust particles swirl like tiny ghosts caught in a dance. The floorboards creaked ominously underfoot as I stepped up to the sleeping man.
Smack!
"Wake up already," I said as I watched Himiko's dad wake up from his little nap.
[+10 SP]
He blinked as he shook his head, eyes blinking in confusion. Kazuhito tried to move, but the fact that I tied his arms and legs to a rickety old steel chair made it an impossible task.
"Where-"
Smack!
[+10 SP]
I slapped the blonde man again, interrupting his dumb question. Kazuhito grunted and spat out some blood onto the dirty floor from the force of my slap. He turned to me with fear in his eyes as I stood still and continued to stare at him.
There were no words.
No sounds made between us.
Just silence.
Gus Fring, Walter White, Anton Chigurh, Tywin Lannister, and many more were the characters I channeled for the more sinister parts of Sukuna's personality I used during my nightly escapades. Who knew wasting so many hours of my past life watching so many movies and TV shows would come in so handy?
"P-Please, I have a wife and children-"
Smack!
[+15 SP]
"How funny," I said in a low voice. "An unfaithful cheating husband who called one of his children a demon and threw her away at the first sign of trouble is using his family to bargain for his life. Don't you think it's funny?"
The tied-up Toga patriarch looked down at his bare feet, his eyes tearing up. Seeing this caused me to glare at the man. "What... do you want from me?"
I looked behind the man where one of my toad Shikigami sat, nodding; the toad shot out its tongue and wrapped it around Kazuhito's throat. The man grunted as he was pulled back to the point where the chair he sat on tettered back and forth from its back legs. Kazuhito looked around in fear as he tried to maintain the chair's balance from whatever invisible force was holding him. His breathing was starting to become labored as my toads tongue slowly began to tighten.
"I don't want anything from you, you failure of a father." I walked over to stand beside the man, my hands in my pockets. "But I do want you to do something for your daughter, Toga Himiko."
[+10 SP]
Kazuhito's eyes grew wide in realization. The fear he once had in his eyes turned to shock and then anger, causing his already red face to become a bright crimson.
"She did this, didn't she? She hired you to do this to me!" Kazuhito yelled with a red face, the pressure around his neck forgotten. "That damn Demon! I knew I should have-"
Smack!
[+10 SP]
For the first time in several years, I felt anger rise within me.
To see what should have been Himiko's loving father yelling out her name as a curse caused me to grow cold. I was extremely tempted to put the man down like the rest of those rabid dogs I've encountered.
It would be so easy… just one quick twist of my wrist.
But I controlled myself, even if this human trash deserved to die in my eyes.
He was still Himiko's father.
And I didn't want to hurt my friend by killing her father.
"Say another word about her, and I'll show you what an actual Demon looks like. Do you understand?" As I spoke, I had several blood tendrils slither out of my back. Their sharp ends slithered close to Kazuhito's face, ready to slice him to shreds. "That clear?"
The blonde man's terrified eyes watched the sharp blood tendrils dance around in the air. With a quick nod, the man closed his eyes as if that would save him from his fate.
[+10 SP]
"C-crystal."
"Good. Very good."
With a silent command, my toad Shikigami released Kazuhito, causing the man to cough and for his chair to land on all fours. I ignored the frightened man and retracted my blood back into me.
"Your daughter will soon be cleared of all her alleged crimes," I said calmly, my words sending a look of disbelief on Kazuhito's face. "Any and all charges against her will be dropped, and her innocence will be established. She will be able to return to society to live her life as she pleases."
[+15 SP]
"What? How is that possible? Himiko attacked and nearly killed her classmate!" Kazuhito was confused and in disbelief.
"What you think doesn't matter. The fact remains that Himiko will be able to go home without fear of being arrested." I said before bringing out several forms from within my jacket. "But she's not going home to you and your family. No, she won't have anything to do with you all anymore."
Kazuhito looked at the papers I dropped on his lap with confusion. As he read the documents, his eyes grew wide.
[+10 SP]
"Are… you serious?"
"I am." I then reached over to release his right arm. With his writing arm free, I held out a pen with a threatening expression.
"Now sign."
x x x
"My mind... feels fuzzy,"
I rubbed the side of my head. I leaned into my couch, still dressed in my jujutsu uniform, as I sat in my dark living room. Zaiko sat on the couch beside me, his derpy face looking at me with confusion, while an orange folder sat beside me.
It was around two in the morning, and all the lights in my house were off, leaving my surroundings in darkness. The only light that illuminated the room was the moonlight that flooded the room from the open shoji door that led outside.
My actions from tonight and the past few nights were starting to weigh on me.
While my actions from the past week weren't as bad as the ones I've done during the last two years, which involved me hunting and killing the worst of the worst, they stood out more due to the fact I acted against innocent people.
Except Himiko's dad. Fuck that guy.
"Did I do the right thing?" I asked myself. "Maybe there were other ways? Was what I did right?"
Of course not.
I thought I would be okay with being the bad guy in order to help Himiko. To play into the role of Sukuna in order to free her, no matter the cost.
But after everything was said and done, I found myself having second thoughts on whether or not I did the right thing.
"How annoying. Why is this so complicated?"
A pair of soft footsteps caused me to leave my conflicting thoughts.
Looking behind me, I saw Himiko walk into the living room. Her hair was a loose mess, and she was dressed in an oversized shirt. She was rubbing one of her eyes as she walked over to me, causing me to discreetly slide the orange folder under the couch. Seeing that, Zaiko slid off the couch and slithered over it.
"Sukuna-kun?" Himiko said with a yawn. Her eyes focused on me and quickly grew wide in concern. "What's wrong? Did something... happen?"
"Huh? No. Why do you ask?" I said and plastered a smile on my face as I leaned on the couch. "What are you even doing up?"
Himiko said nothing but continued to walk around the couch. Once in front of me, she sat down on the couch and shuffled over until her body was pressed onto mine. I blinked in confusion as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and then pulled my head onto her chest with a small smile.
"When... I was younger." Himiko spoke as she rubbed my hair. "There were days when I was really sad and lonely. I wanted my mother to hold me just like this. To make it all go away. But she never did, not since... that day."
I said nothing as she continued to pet my hair, my earlier thoughts melting away.
"Well? Do you feel better?" Himiko asked me softly as she continued to hold me.
"...yeah. I think so."
[+15 SP]
"I'm happy to hear that," Himiko said as she leaned her head on my own. "I don't want to see the people I love look so sad, so whenever you feel down, I'll hold you just like this, okay?"
"Love?" I smiled in amusement as I sat up from her hold. Himiko smiled and nodded.
"Yes. I love you. You accept and understand me for who I am, and you let me suck your blood. You even gave me a home where I can be who I want, and you shared your friends with me. People I've come to love as well," Himiko blushed brightly and hugged my arm. "You're important to me, Sukuna-kun. So I'll always be there for you! No matter what happens."
I sat in silence as Himiko hummed a little song to herself as she continued to cling to my arm.
I wasn't sure if the love Himiko felt for me was romantic or if she was just using the word as a term of endearment. Her canon self did throw that word around pretty loosely, after all. Then again, I supposed it didn't matter which one it was.
"Thank you, Himiko," I said, causing her to look at me in wonder. "You just helped me come to terms with what I was struggling with."
"I did? Great!"
[+20 SP]
I smiled at her as the two of us continued to sit on the couch, enjoying each other's presence and company.
I see now... It doesn't matter what I have to do to keep those I care about safe and happy, even if it means threatening, torturing, or killing those who wish them harm. As cringe as it sounds, I'll do whatever it takes to keep those I care about safe.
Because, in the end, they're all I really have in this world.
-
AN:
I hope you all enjoyed today's bonus chapter!
With this, Toga's first mini arc will be coming to a close soon. I couldn't exactly move on with the plot before addressing her situation.
At the same time, we're starting to see how Souta's mindset is beginning to crack and change. While he may act it, all his actions and curse energy is having an effect on him in a negative way.
To what ends? We'll just have to wait and see.
Be sure to leave me plenty of comments! It's what gives me the motivation to write this.
Until next time!
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