Cursed || Gojo Satoru x Reader

XXII. Exorcism

POV: GOJO SATORU

    I am braced to attack. Every nerve in my body is hard like steel, every muscle like etching on a plate of armor. My legs are planted firmly into the ground, my shoulders stretch wide. I pull my right fist back, forcing my left palm out in a stance of defense. Whether it is her or I who attacks first, I am prepared.

    My eyes are reading her position. She stands tall, in a manner foreign to her blood. Her arms hang loosely by her sides, swinging with every movement of her torso. (y/n)'s body is completely relaxed- there is no threat that she can see.

    There is no threat that he can see. His easy smile broadens over her lips, one that I glower at as I hold my arms steady. Her feet drag across the floor as she tucks her hands into her pockets, head tilting side to side. The nonchalant demeanor is an act of superiority. He is defying my title as the most powerful sorcerer in the jujutsu world. He is not threatened.

    But nor am I.

    I am not threatened by the body of the one person who knew me most. My mind cannot induce fear, it only recalls memories that sing a distant song. Even as my body twitches and recognizes the sin in his blood, my heart cannot understand what has just happened. Still, I know what I must do.

    And I cannot bear to do it. But my body moves against my will, arms pulling back as I let cursed energy envelop my body. I hold my right hand out, my fingers glowing red as I concentrate the energy into a tight sphere.

    (y/n)'s skin glows crimson and her gaze hardens. I cannot hear what she says as I release Cursed Technique Reversal: Red. Infinity is the attraction of matter, and my divine powers allow me to manipulate its direction to my every beck and call. Like a sphere of gravity, all matter revolves around me, unable to reach me through Infinity.

    Red is the repulsion of matter. It rips through the air, blasting straight down the hall as a brutal blast. The line of direction aims straight for her heart, tearing across everything that comes into its path. Its field of range widens with every micrometer it moves, destroying the hall and all the rooms that surround us.

    I squint as the dust begins to settle. Debris piles around me, as though I were a statue on a shrine of decay. Wary, I envelop my body with cursed energy and reach out. Almost immediately, I sense his presence as though it were a rotting corpse amidst a clear sea.

    (y/n)'s eyes are wide as she rushes towards me. In the blink of an eye, I instinctively release another attack. My left fist opens and shines blue as she simultaneously flicks her wrist in my direction.

    Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue shines brightly between us. It pulls all the debris into its center, acting as a source of attraction rather than repulsion. In only a fraction of a second, it compresses all of the surrounding matter into a space of negative matter, constantly devouring as a magnetic field.

    I watch as her fingers reach into the air and twist an invisible force. It is alien to see her technique being handled with such brute force, and I cringe at the sight. Still, Void is summoned by her hands and opens wide, swallowing the debris and enveloping the black hole.

    The collision of the two infinite sources creates an explosion, blasting her body into the air, where I watch as she flips and lands among the towering trees of the forest. Grimacing, I run and leap into the air, scanning the area until I locate her presence in a clearing.

    "It's useless, Sukuna. You could never beat me," I hear myself say. But as the words are said, I finally notice the damage that I have taken. Deep wounds in the shape of claws sear into my skin. Blood has stained the sleeve of my uniform, and it only continues to fall from my hands.

    I realize then that my body has been moving out of pure intuition. It has recognized the danger that Sukuna imposes, even though my mind cannot act in harmony. Every attack that I have released has been noticeably weaker than usual.

    "Why are you holding back?" (y/n) asks. Her eyes are dark and her voice is forceful when she adds, "Don't treat her any different than you would a curse. Is that not what you jujutsu sorcerers do?"

    She leans in, her fingers hold my chin with a surprising gentleness. But her tone is sharp when she says, "But you are letting your human emotions for her get in the way."

    And I remember what I'd told her. I had once told her that her heart was what was weak. Yet even now, I cannot take my own advice. The words are a distant memory, and an image washes over me like a lulling tide.

                                                - - -
    Her eyes shine beneath the light, glowing colors that I had never thought to look at twice. Six Eyes made it so I could see everything, everywhere, all at once. But in her eyes, I could only see one thing. I was lost in their abyss.

    She laughs, turning back to look at me as her body fades into the backdrop, "I love you, which is why-"

                                                - - -
    And I understand. Deep within the void of my heart, I know that I am right. I must be the one to exorcise her.

    "You understand," they say. I let their presence linger in the back of my mind. Six Eyes had warned me of their presence, but their heritage is one that is held dearly. In my peripheral, I see an older man step up beside me. He is around my height, with dark hair that brushes past his eyes. Modern day clothing hangs loosely around his body, as though he were a human who happened to stroll into a war zone.

But his aura is deafening. The grey streaks in his hair are a symbol of age and experience. In a world where sorcerers die young, to live more years more oftentimes proves great strength rather than weakness. I can feel it with him beside me, his energy emulates a power that far exceeds the fifty or so sorcerers that stand behind us.

"(y/n) is a curse, and for that we must exorcise her. She may have committed no sins, but in the (l/n) clan, we adhere strictly to our principle. Without them, we would be nothing," the head of the (l/n) clan muses.

"And to that, we must agree," a deep voice thunders from behind the shadows of the forest. Yaga steps into the light, no longer concealing his presence with cursed energy. I watch as more sorcerers appear from behind the woods. Shoko, Nanami, Utahime. The numbers pile up as curses simultaneously slink in from the corners of our home.

It is for the sake of humanity. There is no greater danger to Japan than (y/n) (l/n). But now, she is Sukuna. And for that, there is no other option than to exorcise her.

And as though the gods had decided to further my torment, I hear another voice call out,

"Don't get too excited there."

Author's note: So close to finishing! Except now I have so much more schoolwork to catch up on so updates might not be as frequent :( Please stay tuned and remember to vote and comment if you like the chapters so far! Have fun watching the Shibuya Arc!
~H