"The line between hero and monster blurs when the cost of survival is paid in blood."
(POV: Ryomen Sukuna)
The park was hustling with activity, couples roaming around, hand in hand, children playing on the slides and swings, not knowing the monster, the ruler of all, the supreme magician...mage...something...sitting amongst them...hehe.
Anyhow, I was sitting on a bench, the seat beside me empty as I waited for someone.
As I was thinking of this, a figure caught my eye, a beautiful girl with long black hair, Eva.
She came towards me with slow, almost hesitant steps, lowering herself to sit beside me, maintaining some distance, her head hung low.
In her eyes, I could see a flood of feelings, fear, guilt, desperation, and something else I couldn't get a hold on.
I knew of her dejection, which had started ever since the 'event'.
I leaned back on the bench, my face showing no expression. "You've been avoiding me."
Eva flinched, her head still hung low as she fiddled with her fingers, thinking of how to respond.
She finally sighed, giving in, not finding any excuses for her actions.
"It's been on my mind," she said, her voice a low whisper, almost drowning in the hustle of the park. "We...killed innocents."
My eyes flickered with a single moment, impossible to not miss, of amusement.
I turned my head to her. "Eva," I started, her eyes still fixed on the ground. "Sometimes, sacrifices must be made."
Eva's brows furrowed, the conflict in her mind not easing in the slightest. "But...they didn't deserve to die."
I looked at her, my eyes narrowing.
We had already had this conversation, and if this was on her mind for too long, it would cause problems in the future.
"Deserve?" I said, my tone slightly commanding as I leaned towards her. "This world isn't fair, Eva, you know it better than anyone."
Her hands were slightly trembling as she took in my words.
"What did they do that they deserved to live?" I asked, flipping the question back on her.
Her eyes slightly widened, her head snapping up as she looked at me. "Nobody–"
"Nobody what?" I cut her off, looking right into her eyes as she struggled to get words out.
She looked at me, her lips moving, but no words coming out.
"Look at them," I said, pointing to a group of adults, talking with each other, occasionally laughing, their laughter echoing in the park.
Her head turned to them, looking at their harmonious actions.
"Do you think they won't sacrifice each other to save themselves?" I asked, leaning into her ear, almost whispering.
"This world is a battlefield, and in a battlefield, there are no 'innocents', only victors and the vanquished."
Her eyes lowered to the floor again, her mind running as she took in my words. "But–"
"Didn't you do it too?" I asked, whispering in her ear like a little devil.
Her eyes widened as I said that, the memories of her actions resurfacing.
"To find the killer of your family, you've massacred hundreds," I continued, my hand cupping her chin and lifting her head up, forcing her to look at me.
Her hands clenched into fists as I continued.
"Do you remember those slums you destroyed? The faces of all the 'innocent' people you killed without a second thought?"
My words hit her like a spear every time, tears starting to well up in her eyes.
I pulled her closer, into a light hug.
"That's right, Eva, it was your instinct to do so," I said, my voice gentle as she hugged me back, her fingers digging into my back.
"You...we...did what was necessary, because we're stronger, those people are just stepping stones, the ones who really matter...are us."
Her eyes closed, a drop of tear dripping from then onto my t-shirt. Noticing this, I hugged her tighter, my embrace comforting her.
"You are strong, Eva, stronger than the guilt you're feeling, stronger, because you know how the world works."
I broke the hug, her eyes were still closed, but when they opened, there was a new resolve in them, stronger than ever.
I waited, waited for my words to completely sink in, and push her over the edge.
"I...I understand," she finally said, her voice a bit calmer than before.
I nodded, smiling warmly.
Her shoulders relaxed, as if a huge burden was lifted off of them. The guilt wasn't completely gone, but it was enough.
We sat silently for a minute, looking at the children running around, the people talking loudly, the occasional whirring on engines as cars went by.
"There's something else," I said, taking her hand in my own.
She didn't resist, but grabbed my hand tightly with her own, craving my touch.
"I need your help," I said, which made her look at me, curiously. "With a girl named Elara Bloom."
Eva blinked in surprise, the change in topic catching her off guard. "Elara Bloom," she mused, her hand slightly moving, rubbing against my own. "Who's she?"
"I came across her recently," I said, trying to show my seriousness. "She's been through a lot."
Eva looked at me, her interest locked. "And you want me to help her? I'm not a therapist."
I looked at her, slightly smirking. "Not that, I want you to train her."
Eva looked at me, blinking. "Why not you? You're much...much stronger than me."
"She doesn't have much mana," I said, turning my head back to the hustling activity of the park. "So she needs to learn mana control, and I can't do that, obviously."
Eva nodded, understanding the situation.
She was always interested in how Sukuna did everything with zero mana, but refrained from asking because...she wouldn't get an answer anyways.
Eva slowly nodded, the uncertainty in her eyes turning into resolve. "Alright."
"Good," I said, pulling her closer and kissing her forehead, making her smile.
We stayed in each other's arms, gazing at the beautiful picture painted by the evening sun and clouds.
Eva was no longer tied up by guilt, she had turned into someone willing to do anything.
Elara would be shaped into what I wanted her to be, which depended on how well she improved under Eva's training.
I will have to experiment on her three souls soon as well.
The pieces were falling into place as my confrontation with Aiden was getting closer.
When I meet him, the game would finally begin.
.
.
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(POV: Ryogaku)
I stood in front of the mirror, water and sweat mingling together, dripping down my face.
My eyes were hollow, the dim light of the room casting shadows on my face.
I gripped the sink, my knuckles turning white, forcing myself to look at the man staring back at me.
"You're standing," I spoke to the mirror, my voice coarse, my throat dry. "You're still standing."
My gaze slightly wavered as I looked at myself.
I had promised myself...promised my teacher, my friends, that I would always stand tall, facing everything that was thrown at me.
I promised to make this world a better place, to make sure that no one goes through the pain I did.
But, my resolve had been weakening, I was losing myself in this world.
I closed my eyes, faces flashing in my mind.
Alexia, the one I loved, but couldn't gather the courage to confess to. Her bright smile sent a jolt of pain through my heart.
Anny, the cold princess, kind and gentle on the inside, always taking care of me.
Johan, my best friend, and my rival, the protector of our group, his unprovoked attacks, his unwavering confidence was something I missed deep in my heart.
Akira, his strict teaching, yet the caring smile, is something I had craved ever since he left this world.
They had all followed me, in my dream to make this world peaceful.
But now, they were gone, leaving me alone in this world of lies.
My eyes opened, staring at myself. "Weak," I muttered, a flash of anger passing through my eyes. "You're still weak," I said to the mirror.
I should have been stronger, strong enough to protect them.
But they were gone, forever.
My eyes burned with an intense anger as I thought of recent events, the news that had spread all around.
Sukuna.
The massacre of an entire town, of all the innocent people, as if they were just puppets to display his power.
It reminded me of my own past, the burning houses flashing in my mind.
"That monster..." I spit, my dry voice seething with anger. "Takes lives without remorse."
The fact that it was Sukuna made my blood boil.
I disliked him for the apathy he showed to Anny's death, it was as if she was just a pig that got slaughtered.
Anny was important, one of the best people I had met in my life, and his condescending view of her death was something I couldn't stand.
I always saw him as a rival, someone to overtake for my dream of peace.
But now, he was not a rival, he had grown into something bigger, an enemy.
"A man like you," I said, my gaze hardening as I saw his figure in my reflection. "Doesn't deserve to walk in this world!"
My scream echoed in the room as I punched the mirror, the glass shattering and falling into the sink with silent clings.
A few shards pierced my hands, but I didn't react, it was too small for me to care about.
"I won't let you live," I declared, my distorted reflection staring back at me from the broken shards. "I will kill you, for the peace of this world."
I turned away from the mirror, my footsteps echoing in the silent room.
I will fight. Fight in honor of my friends, of my teacher, to make this world a better place.
And Sukuna...will pay for his actions.
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(POV: Johan Wolff)
(A long time ago...in the Ruins)
I walked unsteadily through the dark hallways, my footsteps echoing on the stone walls.
My clothes were torn and bloodied, a metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as I stumbled.
I fell to the floor, my hands curling into fists as what I had done sunk in.
"No, no, no, no..." I muttered.
Alexia was one of my best friends, we knew each other since our childhood, and I had...I had.
I grabbed my head, almost hard enough to tear it off of my body.
I felt disgusted, not because of her blood in my mouth, but due to myself.
I hands gripped my neck, drawing some blood as the voices in my head started to mock me. "I didn't mean to...please..."
"You did mean to, Johan."
"Give in, you are one of us."
The voices were urging me on, multiplying my suffering tenfold.
My hand instinctively went to my chest, where the mark was throbbing uncontrollably, a dark mist emanating from the place.
This mark had been on me ever since that day...the day I saw that demon.
I slammed my fist into the ground, making cracks on it, trying to silence the voices.
But, the voices only got louder, laughing in my mind, slowly taking away my sanity.
I got up clumsily, forcing myself to walk, to walk to wherever the path took me.
The metallic taste of Alexia's blood remained on my lips. I could never forget the fact that I had...devoured her.
I dragged myself through the corridors, walking for what seemed like an eternity in the deserted stone paths.
It was as if the ruins held no life, even the occasional monsters I encountered before weren't present.
I didn't know where I was going, I just knew that I had to keep moving forward.
My body may be giving in to the pain, but my eyes burned with an unwavering resolve.
I stumbled into a large room, in the middle of which was a huge, black gate.
The gate was swirling with an ominous, purple energy which sent a chill down my spine.
But, I felt attracted to the portal, as if I was being drawn to something inside it like a magnet.
I felt the mark on my chest throb, almost making an intelligible thud each time it pulsated.
"Step through."
"You are one of us, remember."
My breath turned into short, sharp gasps as the voice got louder, my eyes started to slightly change color, getting redder and redder by the moment.
I felt a sense of...belonging from the gate, as if going through it would take me home...take me back to my mother.
Unknowingly, I had taken a step towards the portal.
"No," I whispered, trying my best to resist the urge to jump in, but it didn't last very wrong.
My legs trembled as I tried to stop myself from walking, my mind clashing between my urges and logic.
The voices got louder every second, overwhelming my mind, trying to make me give in.
My trembling legs gave in as I finally walked into the gate, which engulfed me whole.
The whole world seemed to shift as I went through the portal, the surroundings had changed to a dense forest.
My body felt weak, as if it was being pushed down on all sides, as if I was hundreds of feet underwater.
I fell to the ground, the pressure on my body and my mind proving too much, as I went to a deep sleep.
I had missed the carvings on the wall, which said:
Functioning portal to the Demon Realm, created by Ryomen Sukuna.
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2400 words :>
Exams are getting closer, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second, millis...you get the point.
Which is why I'm dropping this story.
I'm kidding, anyhow, the uploads will be a little ooga booga until exams end, please bear with it TvT.
and gimme POWER STONES :3