A pair of glowing, purple eyes pierced the darkness, their vibrant hue casting a faint glow into the shadowy depths of an alleyway. Kaito stood at the edge of a bustling street, his gaze fixed on the crooked figure of a cursed spirit curled up in a corner, its red eyes gleaming with a mix of fear and defiance.
"You seem distracted," a voice interrupted from behind him. Kaito glanced back, his eyes meeting those of a young woman with long, dark blue hair cascading past her shoulders, her pretty brown eyes regarding him with curiosity.
"Yeah," Kaito replied, tearing his gaze away from the spirit and turning to face her. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he couldn't shake. "I'm just surprised, Hanari."
Hanari chuckled softly, spinning on her heel and beginning to walk down the street. "Why's that? Not used to this kind of environment?"
Kaito shook his head, falling into step beside her. "No, I knew it would be rough, but..." He glanced at an elderly man with outstretched hand, begging for change. "And impoverished. But I didn't expect there to be so many curses around."
Cursed Spirits, demons spawned from negative emotions, manifested in various forms, each more terrifying than the last. Some resembled twisted amalgamations of human and animal features, their grotesque forms contorted in agony or rage. Others took on more abstract shapes.
"I understand," Hanari said, her voice tinged with empathy. "But what can you expect from people living in these conditions? There's not much joy to be found here."
Kaito nodded, a pang of guilt tugging at his chest. "I hadn't thought about it like that."
The two eventually found themselves at the entrance of a dimly lit bar, the sounds of laughter spilling out into the street.
Pushing open the creaky door, they stepped into the warm glow of the tavern. Immediately, their attention was drawn to the center of the room, where two figures stood out among the crowd.
Masato, a tall and muscular boy towered over the crowd with his muscular frame. He was engaged with a fierce arm-wresting match with a local patron.
Cheering and shouting filled the air! Masato roared, "Haha! Come on, give it your best shot!"
Beside him stood a strikingly tall woman with a sly smile, Masamichi. "You've got this! Show them what you're made of!" she cheered, her voice carrying over the din of the crowd.
As Kaito and Hanari approached, Hanari couldn't help but laugh at the sight before them. "Looks like they're causing quite a scene," she remarked.
Kaito grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Seems like our kind of crowd," he replied. He slithered his way past the patrons, tapping Masamichi on the shoulder. He cocked his head to the side, in the direction of the counter.
Masamichi turned back to Masato, "Come on! Wrap it up!"
**BANG!**
Masato slammed his opponent's hand down into the table, laughing as he greedily collected a bag of mon from one of the nearby onlookers, walking over towards the counter.
"But that guy was double his size.."
Masato sat down next to Kaito, who had placed a few coins on the table, pointing towards one of the bottles placed on one of the shelves behind the bartender.
"Hey, what's up?" Masato asked with a puzzled expression.
Masamichi chuckled, rolling her eyes playfully. "I wonder, what could be up?"
Kaito couldn't help but giggle, grabbing the cup the bartender placed in front of him before moving on to serve other patrons. "Yeah, I wonder what could be up," he replied, taking a sip and cringing at the taste. Not exactly what he was used to.
Masato glanced between the trio, clearly bewildered.
"They're just messing with you, Kenji," Hanari said softly. "Did you find out about the kid Gakuganji mentioned?"
Masato shifted uncomfortably, mumbling, "I wonder what's up..."
Masamichi let out a light laugh. "Yeah, sure," she said to Hanari. "We found out. They plan to execute him later today." She hesitated slightly. "We saw him at the magistrate's office. "
Masato nodded. "Yeah, he's got a decent amount of cursed energy, but that's not what worries me."
Kaito narrowed his eyes, focusing on Masato now. "Go on," he urged.
Masato continued, "They only found severed body parts. Arms, half a torso. But they couldn't find the rest of the corpses. And the kid didn't say a word when the authorities arrived. He was mute. Everyone there was torn apart, the walls shredded."
Kaito glanced down at his drink, feeling a shiver run down his spine, though it wasn't from being disturbed. He was... excited? "Right, so, we can grab him just before the execution?" he suggested.
Masato regarded Kaito with a serious expression.
Silence hung in the air until Masamichi spoke up, breaking the tension. "Why wait? Let's get him now."
Kaito glanced past her at Hanari, who was picking at the paint on the counter. "So Fujiwara can ease her conscience," he remarked.
Hanari shot Kaito a glare. "Not my fault," she retorted.
Kaito met her gaze, his heart racing. "The clan heads ordered you to pick him up. You're not changing anything. If it wasn't you, it would've been someone else."
Hanari fell silent, unable to come up with a response.
Masato intervened, "Right! We should probably head out. Tomo and I got a room at an inn; we can rest there until it's time."
Masamichi nodded eagerly. "Yes, let's go, guys!"
Kaito rolled his eyes but stood up, ready to leave.
The night air was thick with tension as Kaito and his companions made their way through the crowded streets.
As they approached the execution grounds, the clamor of the crowd grew louder, mingling with the distant sound of drums. Kaito's heart pounded in his chest as they pushed their way through the throngs of people, the air heavy with the scent of sweat and fear.
Finally, they reached the gallows, where a tattooed boy stood bound, his eyes dead. He had lost all hope. He looked to around their age, fifteen to seventeen.
The executioner, clad in the regal attire of a samurai, stood poised with his katana drawn, his gaze cold and unforgiving.
A hush fell over the crowd as the executioner's voice rang out, his words carrying with them the weight of authority. "This boy, Kyofu Nakamura, stands accused of heinous crimes."
Kaito's eyes narrowed as he listened to the accusations.
"We can't let this happen," Hanari whispered.
Kaito nodded. "No, we can't."
Kaito stepped forward, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. "Hold!"
"I am Kaito Fujimoto, heir to the Fujimoto clan," Kaito declared, "And I object to this execution."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd, mixed with gasps of surprise. The executioner's expression hardened, but he hesitated, uncertain how to proceed.
Hanari stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "There has been a misunderstanding," she stated, addressing the crowd. "This boy is not what he seems. We demand further investigation before any irreversible action is taken."
Masato and Masamichi glanced to Kaito and Hanari briefly, turning and striding over towards a nearby group of officials.
"Excuse me," Masamichi addressed them, her voice firm but respectful. "We're from the Jujutsu Society, under the Fujiwara Clan. We've been informed about this situation, and we'll be taking it from here."
The officials, a mix of samurai and town guards exchanged uneasy glances. Clearly taken aback by the intervention.
A figure emerged from the crowd, his robes indicating his status as a magistrate. With a stern expression, he spoke out. "This is highly irregular," he interjected. "Who authorised this intervention?"
Masato and Masamichi exchanged glances.
"We have direct orders from the heads of the Fujiwara Clan," Masamichi asserted. "This matter falls under our jurisdiction now."
The magistrate's expression softened slightly, as he looked over to Masato who nodded in agreement to Masamichi's statement.
"I will need to see those orders," he insisted his gaze fixed on Masato.
Masato reached into his hakama and withdrew a scroll. After a few moment of scrutiny, the magistrate nodded. "Very well," he conceded.
"Thank you," Masato replied. "Rest assured, we'll ensure that justice is served."
Masato and Masamichi turned, and began to approach Kaito.
"Did you see that?" Masamichi scoffed, a hint of irritation in her voice. "He couldn't even look at me properly."
Masato shook his head, "Just try to keep calm," he advised, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Kaito glanced over at Masato and Masamichi, "Everything settled?"
Masato nodded, "We're good."
Kaito nodded, making his way over towards the gallows, the murmurs of the crowd gradually diminishing as the samurai urged them to disperse.
Kyofu's bindings were cut, yet he remained bowed, his gaze fixed on the ground, lost in his own thoughts.
Kaito approached him, kneeling down to him. "Hey."
Hanari approached him, her voice soft with concern. "We should head to the inn now," she suggested gently.
Kaito nodded, waving his hand dismissively. "Give me a moment.."
"Hey." He repeated. This time, Kyofu raised his gaze to meet Kaito's.
Kaito continued, "I'm Kaito Fujimoto, and you are?"
Kyofu did not respond.
Right. Why would he? He already knows who Kaito is, and Kaito already knows who he is. There really was no point in asking that.
"I need your help with something," Kaito said audaciously.
Kaito pondered to himself. His eyes. He couldn't shake it. He was dead inside. He knew how that felt. That feeling of despair. Hopelessness. He used to feel the same way. That night.
Tetsuya Hirano. The man that murdered his father in cold blood.
He made a promise that night. That he would kill him. His eyes used to look the same way, till he found that resolve.
In Kyofu's case, he wasn't exactly sure what had happened to him. Only speculation. But it'd be a shame to let something like Kyofu die here. There was potential. He knew it.
Kaito raised his hand, placing it lightly against Kyofu's throat.
"Do you want to die?"
Masato maintained his composure, his expression unreadable but his gaze piercing. On the other hand, Masamichi's surprise was evident, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she watched Kaito's audacious move.
Hanari opened her mouth to speak, but Kaito waved his hand dismissively.
He stared Kyofu in the eyes. "If you want, I can end it all for you right now. But I can also help you."
Kyofu looked at Kaito, his eyes glowing. "I can bring you salvation. You don't have to die. You just have to help me do something."
There was silence.
Hanari glared at Kaito. Her gaze was intense.
"What do you want to do?" Kaito pressed on.
Kyofu closed his eyes, and after a brief moment, reopened them.
"I want to live."
xxxxx
**A.N**
Apologies to anybody who expected a chapter yesterday, I just struggled writing this one. I HOPE to be able to get the third chapter out by the end of the day or in the morning tomorrow. Anyway, have a good day!