"In the game of life, the king may think that he is the strongest, but the one truly in power is the player."
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(POV: Ryomen Sukuna)
(Inside Aiden's office, a while ago)
I sat at the table, my hands neatly placed on my lap as I leaned back, my eyes narrowed as I looked at the man in front of me.
Aiden Arceid, his seemingly unbreakable calm demeanor was unwavering as he gazed out of the window, his body illuminated by the soft glow of the afternoon sun.
However, as our conversation had continued, I could feel the darkness in his eyes growing, something that unsettled me quite a bit.
The tension between us was apparent, it felt as if the air between us was crackling.
"You've been quiet, don't you think?" I said, breaking the silence in the room, my serious expression unchanging as I stared at him.
Aiden chuckled, low and dark, as he continued to stare out the window, his gaze wandering over the city.
"You're quite impatient," he said, finally turning to face me, his eyes gleaming with an unknown, yet malicious glint. "But I did promise that I'd tell you of my plan."
I leaned forward, lifting my hands from my lap, placing my elbows on the table. "That's right, go on."
Aiden took a step forward, slow and ominous. "In England, there are portals... portals to the demon realm."
My eyes slightly widened as I heard this.
Portals to the demon realm are quite rare, as I've read in the confidential documents.
But, I was more surprised about how he knew about it.
I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.
"The human realm and the demon realm..." he paused, closing his eyes, his lips curling up into a smile. "...will crash, bring chaos, destruction... death to this fragile world."
I felt a chill go down my spine. However, my lips involuntarily curled up. A wave of twisted excitement washed over me.
"Chaos, destruction, death," I repeated his words, my heart beating faster at the thought. "Not a... small plan, is it?"
"No," Aiden said, slowly sitting down opposite to me, the smile on his face not dropping. "It's thorough, centuries of my planning led to this moment."
I mentally raised an eyebrow at this.
Centuries?
Was he hinting that he was hundreds of years old?
I tried to read his expression for hints, but, as always, there was nothing I could decipher.
As I was just about to ask something related to it, he cut me off, as if he didn't want me to address the statement.
"So much destruction, it's almost... poetic, isn't it?" He asked, his lips twisting into a wicked smirk.
This was the most emotion I had seen him show, and it surprised me quite a bit.
"Poetic, truly," I said, my eyes flickering with a dark excitement. "But how do you know they won't find a solution?"
Aiden leaned forward, his smirk only widening. "Humans and demons were created to fight against each other. Their pathetic morals and hope will die in front of them."
I felt my heart race, not from fear, but from anticipation.
"We'll be in as much danger as the people, won't we?" I asked, my expression mirroring his own.
Aiden's expression morphed into a grin. It seems he is thoroughly enjoying his time.
"That's what makes it fun," he said, his voice dropping lower. "We're not just strong, Sukuna. We're... inevitable."
There was a short silence in the room as I leaned back on the chair, taking all the information in.
"And what about me?" I asked, my gaze meeting his. "What am I in this grand plan?"
Aiden slowly stood up, his chair rolling back on the wooden floor as his eyes stared into mine.
"I know, Sukuna, that you'll only be an ally, or an enemy," he said, his grin only widening. "And I would prefer if it were the former."
I stood up, my eyes locked with his.
"What if I decide to turn against you?" I asked, a low chuckle escaping my lips.
Aiden's expression didn't change, almost as if expecting this statement. "Then you'll try, and you'll fail."
For some time, silence followed, the muffled sounds of birds outside the building the only thing reaching my ears.
"Consider me your ally, Aiden... for now," I said, a twisted smile forming on my lips.
"That's right Sukuna," he said, extending a hand. "We'll watch this world burn together."
My smile only widened. "Don't forget, we will always be enemies, after all, it is the nature for second place to push down the first."
I raised my hand, our hands meeting in a firm handshake.
"I expected nothing less," Aiden replied, his gaze unwavering. "Though, there might be a third one competing for the spot."
I raised an eyebrow, our hands still locked in the handshake.
His eyes seemed to bore into my mind as he spoke. "Indeed, and he was a student of your academy too."
My grip on his hand tightened as I stared into his eyes, looking for answers. "You're saying a single student might pose a threat to me?"
Aiden smile only widened at my words, seemingly enjoying my confusion.
Was he talking about Ryogaku?
He was the main character, so it is quite natural for him to be one of the strongest, isn't it?
However, I don't think he has done anything too special, recently, to catch Aiden's attention.
"That's right," Aiden said, his voice dropping low. "Ren Killes is dangerous."
I released his hand from the handshake, my eyes filled with confusion, yet intrigued, looking at him for answers. "Ren Killes?"
"I'm sure you've heard of him," he said, a little chuckle escaping his lips. "The suspended second year."
My eyebrows rose in recognition.
A 'suspended second year' was quite famous in the academy.
Aiden's smile widened at my reaction as he turned away, going back to his seat.
I was left standing in the middle of the room, thinking about the boy.
If he was acknowledged by Aiden as a threat...
My lips curled up in excitement as I thought of the possibilities.
...then it is undeniable that he'll be... an important player.
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(Present, at the Sukuna Family's Home)
I entered the house, the familiar creak of the door, the familiar smell, everything filled me with a soothing comfort that calmed the turmoil in my mind.
I slowly walked in, my steps echoing in the large living room.
My eyes darted around, finding my parents on the couch, laying in each other's arms.
My dad—Eiji—was doing something on his laptop, while my mom—Amaya—was reading a book.
I unhurriedly walked to them, making their heads turn to me.
As my mom saw me, a large smile formed on her face, her eyes lighting up.
She put her book on the table, clasping her hands together as she spoke. "You're back, Sukuna."
A small smile formed on my face at her soft greeting as I sat down on a couch opposite to them.
Silence ensued for a few moments. My mom glanced at my dad, who looked up from his laptop screen at me.
"Something on your mind?" My dad asked me, his voice stoic, yet carrying an undertone of worry.
I looked at him for a moment. I had already thought of what to say, but I had to word it well.
Thinking for a few seconds, I decided to come straight to the point.
"I need you both to... invest in something. Mana stone 34," I said, looking at them both for a reaction.
Their expressions barely changed, but there was a hint of confusion in their eyes as they glanced at each other.
"Mana stone 34," she repeated, her voice calm, yet filled with curiosity. "It's mostly used in minor defensive items, but it has a special function, it repels demons."
She was looking at me with a side-eye.
It was already clear to them that what I was saying had something to do with demons, but they were confused of why I would want them to 'invest' in the stones.
"Why do you think they'll be important?" She asked, her voice laced with curiosity as she glanced at me and my dad.
A small smirk formed on my lips as I thought of the upcoming invasion. "They'll be extremely important, but you don't need to know the details."
They both glanced at each other once more.
This was like a habit they had built, glancing at each other, as if talking to each other in their minds.
"You're being unusually cryptic," my father said, closing the flap of his laptop as he leaned forward. "Why don't you tell us?"
I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees as my face turned serious.
The air seemed to get heavier as we both stared into each other's eyes, as if battling for control of the situation.
"Do you really want to open the Pandora's Box?" I asked, my voice falling low as I glanced at my mom for a moment.
My words hung in the air, the importance of them was clear. The tension in the air rose, and there was silence for a few moments.
After a long pause, my mom finally spoke up. "If you want us not to know, then there must be a reason," she said, her voice soft. "We'll trust you."
My father nodded in agreement.
I nodded and smiled back, a strange feeling of satisfaction welling up inside me.
They didn't know about Aiden's plan, but all they had to do was trust me, and they did.
"Thanks for understanding," I said, getting up with a small smile carved on my face.
As I walked away, my father's voice stopped me.
"I know the path you're walking, Sukuna," he said, his voice firm and resolute. "I've walked on it once."
I looked back, my gaze landing on his figure.
He didn't hold eye contact like usual, but was staring at the wall, as if going through his memories.
"It's not happy, it's not peaceful, and definitely not moral," he said, his voice going lower as he turned to me, his eyes glinting with passion. "But remember, we're here, don't hesitate to throw some of the weight on your shoulder to us."
A weird, almost foreign feeling welled up inside me. I could almost feel myself tearing up.
His genuine words, filled with passion and support, hit something deep inside me.
A large smile formed on my face, reaching my eyes, as I nodded back at him.
My mom glanced at my dad, then turned to me. They both smiled back as I walked away, closing the door behind me.
This family... it was something I will protect at all costs.
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(Somewhere in the mountains)
It was a beautiful evening.
The sky was clear, painted with a pretty, bright orange hue as small clouds swirled around.
The sun was on the horizon, as if it was peeking above the ground, casting long, picturesque rays on the soft grass.
A boy was sitting on a rock on the top of a hill, the light breeze blowing his short, brown hair to his left.
His legs were crossed, his arms folded neatly, as he took a deep breath in, his eyes closed.
His face was blocked by the shadow of a tree, giving him a slightly menacing look.
He opened his eyes, which were a pretty deep blue, and seemed to glow from within the shadows.
If one were to look at him from afar, he would look quite intimidating, an ominous energy emanating from his eyes.
The boy—Ren Killes—looked towards the sky, getting down from the rock, his feet planting on the grassy land.
He stood motionless on the ground, his calm breathing seemed to slow down the wind itself.
The birds dared not get close to him, sensing the enormous amount of power inside him, waiting to be unleashed.
The ground beneath him seemed to tremble as his every movement.
He looked calm, but his heart raced, his face, still blocked by the shadow, morphed into an expression of worry.
"I have a feeling..." he muttered, his voice low, but not deep, quite high-pitched, as he took a deep breath once more.
He exhaled loudly.
The exhale sent a violent gust of wind flying out, shattering the rock he was just sitting on.
"...that something bad is about to happen."