Chương 56: The True Curse P.2

Ah, been a while since I wrote about Yuji, now we're getting nearer to Shibuya, and the proper story shall start soon. -Auther

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Yuji's breath came in ragged gasps as he surveyed the battlefield. The dense forest around them felt suffocating, its thick canopy barely letting in any light. Blood soaked his clothes, dripping from the various cuts and gashes covering his body.

The lethal wound in his abdomen pulsed with pain, but it didn't matter. Across from him, Mahito stood, equally battered. He wasn't healing as quickly as before. He's running out of steam.

Yuji wiped the sweat and blood from his brow, his jaw clenched. I can kill him. The thought surged through him with grim certainty. Without hesitation, Yuji launched himself toward Mahito, the ground cracking under the force of his step.

Mahito's eyes widened for a split second before his body reacted. He flipped backward, barely evading Yuji's initial strike. His instincts screamed at him not to engage Yuji directly—not when the boy was this determined, this dangerous.

"You're pushing yourself too hard, Itadori!" Mahito sneered, though his voice was tinged with strain. He morphed his right arm into a cannon and began firing shot after shot, each explosive blast tearing through the trees and underbrush. Yuji zigzagged between the blasts, his feet pounding the ground in quick succession, dodging every shot. His heart thundered in his chest, but he had to slow down.

Damn... he's just buying time, Yuji realized, gritting his teeth. Mahito, now a few meters away, took the brief reprieve to focus on healing his wounds, his flesh twitching as it knit back together. But his eyes never left Yuji. He wasn't healing fast enough to fully recover, and they both knew it.

Just as Mahito thought he had a moment to breathe, a shadow darkened the space above him. Yuji had vaulted high into the air, the sun briefly outlining his silhouette against the sky before he came crashing down. His foot slammed into Mahito's ribs with a sickening crunch, the force of the blow sending Mahito skidding across the forest floor, tearing up earth and roots as he went.

Mahito coughed violently, blood splattering from his lips, but a crooked smile spread across his face. He wiped his mouth and looked up at Yuji with amusement. "What is it, Yuji? Think you can stop me this time? You think this will be different?" His voice was a twisted mockery, laced with venom. "You're getting predictable."

Yuji said nothing, his foot still firmly planted on Mahito's chest. His breath was heavy, his eyes burning with determination. He didn't care about the taunts. There was only one goal in his mind now—kill Mahito.

Mahito's grin widened, a wild, manic look in his eyes. "Let's see if you've grown since last time!" His mouth opened unnaturally wide, and four hands sprouted grotesquely from within, twisting and curling as he activated his Domain Expansion: "Self-Embodiment of Perfection!"

Yuji's heart raced as the familiar black walls of the Domain closed in around him. His mind flashed back to the last time Mahito had used this technique. Back then, with Nanami's help, he'd managed to land a Black Flash by pure chance, interrupting Mahito's Domain. But this time—there was no Nanami. No Black Flash.

Is this it? The thought clawed at his mind. Am I done here?

Mahito, despite his injuries, was utterly confident. He stood over Yuji like a reaper ready to claim a soul. "Don't worry, Itadori. You'll forget me soon enough. You'll be nothing more than another name I discard." His voice was low, almost tender. "But for what it's worth, you were a challenge." His hand reached out, the connection to Yuji's soul imminent.

As Mahito's fingers touched Yuji's soul, the world around them shifted. For the briefest moment, Mahito's smug expression faltered. His surroundings changed—this wasn't Yuji's soul... but it felt disturbingly close. The air around him pulsed with a strange, foreboding energy. He turned, and there, standing in front of him was a figure almost identical to Yuji.

The figure smirked, its presence heavy and oppressive. Mahito's blood ran cold, but his mind quickly pieced it together. "This... this isn't Yuji." He whispered to himself, realization creeping in. The figure's smirk widened as Mahito's Domain began to crack.

With a violent rupture, the Domain shattered, fragments of its black walls dissipating into nothingness.

Yuji blinked, disoriented, as the world snapped back to reality. His body reacted before his mind could catch up, his feet propelling him toward Mahito. The opportunity was right in front of him—he could finish this now!

But just as Yuji closed the distance, a sudden blur intercepted him. A heavy blow struck the side of his head, and his world tilted violently as he crashed to the ground. Darkness edged his vision, but before he lost consciousness, he heard a voice—calm, composed, and chillingly familiar.

"We need to go, Mahito. Gojo's coming," Pseudo-Geto said, standing over Yuji's prone body. His tone was casual as if they were discussing the weather.

Mahito staggered to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth. "He's always ruining the fun," he muttered. But that same eerie grin returned to his face.

Geto glanced at him, eyes narrowing. "What did you see in there?"

Mahito's grin widened even further, his voice soft yet filled with dark amusement. "I made a promise... pretty sure it was with Sukuna."

...

A few minutes passed after Geto and Mahito vanished into the ether of cursed energy. The forest, once filled with the sounds of battle, was eerily quiet. From behind a thick bush, a head cautiously peeked out.

Kokichi Muta—barely alive, his body weak—had been watching, waiting for any sign that the enemies might return. But when it became clear they were gone for good, a tremor of emotion washed over him.

He almost cried. This was it—his dream of being human... over. His mechanical body trembled slightly as the reality sank in. The wreckage of Ultimate Mechamaru: Absolute lay strewn across the forest floor, broken and useless. Kokichi stared at his twisted, limbs, a deep wave of despair settling over him. I was so close.

But then, realization struck him like a jolt. Wait... This wasn't his doing—he wasn't alive because of him. He wasn't the reason he was still here. His eyes darted to the side, locking onto Yuji's unconscious body lying a few feet away. His heart skipped a beat. Yuji was still alive—barely.

Kokichi scrambled over to Yuji, his movements awkward and jerky in the remnants of Mechamaru's frame. As he knelt beside him, he inspected Yuji's wounds. They were bad—multiple lacerations, severe blood loss, and that gaping hole in his abdomen... but it wasn't hopeless. Not yet.

"Dammit, Itadori..." Kokichi muttered under his breath. His mechanical fingers shakily reached for the medical supplies stashed inside what was left of Mechamaru's chassis. He pulled out bandages and disinfectant. The wounds needed cleaning—immediately.

Just as he reached for the disinfectant, a shadow fell over him.

"Need a hand?"

Startled, Kokichi looked up and nearly fell backward. Standing above him was Gojo Satoru, the strongest sorcerer in the world, smiling down at him with that infuriatingly teasing grin.

"K-Kaicho!" Kokichi stammered, the disinfectant slipping from his fingers. Gojo knelt beside Yuji's body, picking up the bottle that Kokichi had dropped. "Looks like you're doing a good job," Gojo said casually, inspecting the wounds. "Taking care of my precious student, huh?"

Kokichi's breath hitched. Gojo... Gojo was here. And the sudden realization hit him like a ton of bricks—he had technically aided the enemy. Panic surged through him. He bowed his head low, his voice shaking with desperation.

"I... I-I'm sorry!" Kokichi began to apologize frantically. "I helped them—I gave them information, I... I thought I had no choice! I'm sorry, I—"

Gojo waved him off, his expression still calm, but with an undercurrent of understanding. "Relax, Muta. You helped, sure. But in the end, you came through for us." His teasing grin softened slightly. "Besides, you saved my student. That counts for something."

Kokichi blinked, his mechanical limbs trembling slightly. "I—" He wanted to protest, to argue that he didn't deserve Gojo's forgiveness, but the words stuck in his throat. He wasn't sure if it was shock or relief, but the weight in his chest felt lighter now.

Gojo turned his attention back to the battlefield, whistling low as his eyes scanned the wreckage. "You guys really did a number on this place, huh?" His tone was casual, as if commenting on the weather.

Kokichi, still overwhelmed, lowered his head, guilt gnawing at him. "It wasn't me... Yuji was the one who fought." His voice was barely audible. "I could only... waste Mahito's energy. I didn't do anything."

Gojo raised an eyebrow, glancing at him. "You think that's nothing?" He chuckled, patting Kokichi's shoulder with a reassuring hand. "Even stalling Mahito is something. It helped. And sometimes, that's all we need." His tone turned serious for a moment. "Don't sell yourself short, Muta. You did what you could."

Kokichi swallowed hard, still unsure if he could accept that. But before he could respond, Gojo straightened up, his teasing smile returning. "Now, our little spy... I wouldn't mind you helping us a bit more, right?"

His voice was light, but as he raised his blindfold slightly, revealing one brilliant blue eye, Kokichi felt a chill run down his spine. The look in Gojo's eye was sharp, almost playful, but there was an unmistakable intensity behind it.

Kokichi's breath hitched again. Gojo's gaze, even half-exposed, was terrifyingly beautiful and overwhelmingly powerful. "O-Of course!" Kokichi sputtered, nodding fervently. "I-I'll help, I promise! If it's you asking... I'll survive this, right?" He forced a weak, nervous smile, hoping that Gojo wasn't about to test that promise immediately.

Gojo's grin widened. "That's the spirit."

The wind picked up, rustling the leaves around them, and Gojo's gaze softened again as he looked down at Yuji's unconscious form. "Don't worry, Itadori. You're in good hands."

...

Yuji blinked groggily as he opened his eyes, the harsh, sterile light of the infirmary glaring down at him. He squinted, momentarily disoriented by the brightness. The cold, antiseptic smell in the air made it clear where he was: the school's medical ward.

Groaning softly, he sat up, rubbing his eyes until his vision adjusted. When he could finally see clearly, the impassive face of Shoko Ieiri greeted him from across the room.

"You've only been here twice, you know," Shoko said, her voice calm and matter-of-fact as she glanced at him over her clipboard. "That's quite impressive, considering most students end up in here every week. Your friends are waiting for you outside." She jotted something down before walking toward the door.

Yuji barely registered what she was saying—his mind was still sluggish from sleep. He blinked as she walked out of the room, mumbling something about needing a smoke break. A faint trace of cigarette smoke lingered in the air as the door clicked shut behind her.

His gaze drifted over to the side of the bed, where his school uniform was neatly folded on a chair. Yuji stared at it for a moment before slowly swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He gave himself a quick once-over: his arms, legs, and torso—everything was still intact. He felt no pain. He was alive.

That means... Mahito is alive, too. The thought gnawed at him, but he pushed it aside for now. There was no time for that right now.

Yuji got dressed, slipping into his uniform before heading outside. The fresh air hit his face as he stepped into the open field. For a moment, the calmness of the surroundings was a welcome contrast to the chaos he'd just endured. But the tranquility was short-lived.

In the distance, he spotted Nobara and Megumi—or rather, what appeared to be Nobara and Megumi getting relentlessly "trained" by Maki, Panda, and occasionally Inumaki.

"Training" wasn't exactly the right word for it. "Bullying" might've been closer to the truth. Maki's commanding voice echoed across the field, and Yuji could hear Nobara's loud protests even from a distance.

Yuji smiled to himself and jogged over, now fully awake. As soon as Nobara noticed him, she shouted, "Look who finally woke up!" Her voice carried that familiar mix of mockery and warmth.

Megumi glanced at Yuji, panting heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "We're in the middle of a 3v2 right now," he explained in his usual monotone. "But now that you're here, it's 3v3. You need to help."

Nobara shot Yuji a glance, arms crossed. "Loser cleans the toilets for a week. So don't screw this up."

Yuji's eyes widened. "Toilets...?" He immediately understood the stakes. His mind flashed to the horrific memories of scrubbing the school's dingy restrooms after losing a bet the previous month. He clenched his fists with newfound determination. "I'm in."

And just like that, Yuji jumped into action, seamlessly reconnecting with his team as if he'd never left. Panda was barreling toward him with a playful grin, Maki's sharp eyes were already sizing him up, and Inumaki muttered something under his breath that Yuji couldn't quite hear but assumed meant trouble.

The atmosphere, though competitive, felt warm—familiar. This was where he belonged, among friends who fought as fiercely as they laughed together. Whatever dark thoughts had clouded his mind earlier, they were momentarily forgotten as the impromptu sparring session kicked into full gear.

From the stands, Gojo Satoru lounged lazily, his legs kicked up as he watched the chaos unfold below. He raised his arms in an exaggerated cheer, but it was impossible to tell who he was rooting for. "Go, team!" he shouted vaguely, his blindfold covering most of his face but failing to hide his broad grin. "Don't let me down!"

"Who's he even cheering for...?" Yuji muttered, shaking his head.

"Not us," Nobara quipped, a wicked grin on her face as she charged at Maki.

The battle on the field continued with energy and enthusiasm, each of them momentarily forgetting the burdens they carried. At this moment, it was just friends, sweat, and laughter.

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[Auther: Yo. Been a while eh? I'm going to make these chapters like my MHA chapter, meaning nice and long...pause.]