SUBMIT

13

"So we can't kill her?"

Megumi had been staring at the cursed spirit, Menreiki, since Nanami had casually strolled back to them with her trailing after him like an obedient dog. Ino Takuma, Megumi's senior, had been repetitively echoing the conditions of Nanami and Menreiki's binding vow as if to once more confirm the words that left the eldest sorcerer's lips. Itadori held a thoughtful look on his face, but his eyes constantly drifted back towards Menreiki from where she floated off near the side.

Megumi couldn't blame them for their suspicion against the binding vow considering that the conditions were . . . odd . . . in simple terms.

Nanami had gained Menreiki as a subordinate, one that would listen to him without complaints as long as Nanami could satiate Menreiki's infamous hunger.

"Hey, what do you think she likes?" The raven haired sorcerer turned his gaze towards Itadori who stood beside him, a finger curled over his chin as he hummed. Megumi stared at him with a sliver of doubt running across his face before prompting him to repeat what he asked, trying to make sure that what he heard wasn't a mistake. Itadori turned to him, that same cheerful and somewhat naive grin drawn on his face, "I asked what you think she might like."

"What she might like?" Megumi repeated once more, as if his words still hadn't fully processed in his mind. "What do you mean?"

"You know . . . like food! If she just wants Nanamin to feed her then what should we get to help?" He then frowned slightly, his bottom lip jutting out the slightest bit in thought, "She must've been really hungry if that's all it took to subdue her."

Megumi wasn't sure if he should be glad that Itadori had some hint of doubt or if he should be unsatisfied with the initial idea he had. He decided to go for the former to prevent a useless argument from breaking out between them. However, he did shift his body to turn towards Itadori as if making sure his attention was fully captured into this fruitless conversation, "You do know that she, like many other curses, doesn't eat regular food like we do?"

"Really?" Itadori seemed to deflate at his words before tilting his head, "Well, what does she eat?"

Megumi frowned as the answer immediately flew to the front of his mind, flowed down the canal of his throat and almost left his pursed lips. He knew there was no reason for him to as Itadori needed to know of the sickening aspects of the already revolting curse that was Menreiki.

Sometimes, Megumi didn't like being the one explaining heavy and important information to others because he wasn't sure how to react when they reacted to whatever he said. He could probably handle the horror that wavered in their eyes and the disgust that curled on their lips.

But he would never be sure how to react when there was sorrow and gloom that rained down and stuck on their features.

He knew that Itadori was a kind person, much kinder than some of the sorcerers that Megumi had met before, so he was unsure of what Itadori's reaction would be. However, even as he contemplated the words that he would spew, he eventually revealed in a bland tone, "She eats curses and sorcerers."

Itadori's pensive look dropped at his words, "Sorcerers?"

"Yeah," Megumi shifted to look at Nanami who walked through Menreiki's rotating shield of masks, "in the legends, she ate everything that she came across. Curses, cursed users, sorcerers, and innocents."

"You don't think Nanamin . . ." Itadori trailed off, a worried look coming onto his face. There might have even been doubt and the slightest pinch of dread that was sprinkled throughout his eyes as he kept an eye on Nanami who exited from the safety of Menreiki's circle of masks.