He set fire to the world around him but never let a flame touch her.

༻𖥸༺

IT WAS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE human world that knowledge about curses was seen as nothing more than folktales and children's stories in this day and age.

Many used to be documented in various shrines, oftentimes confused and mixed up with a version of an ayakashi or a mamono. Some common folk even saw the low-classed curses as nothing more than yurei or simple ara-mitama.

The truth was much more different.

Noroi are created when cursed energy leaks from humans as a result of their built-up human emotions. Cursed energy gatheres in a way akin to sediment until a jurei takes form.

All curses are born of humanity's negative perception upon an object, person or concept.

Yet curses have always been considered weaker than yokai, most only reaching the height of what everyday's mamonoke represented. Thus, jurei were seen as less of a danger by shinto practitioners.

Sorcery had only reached its peak during the late years of the Heian cultural period of Nihongo, when the highly feared Ryomen Sukuna, The King of Curses, enforced his presence over humanity.

Jujutsu Tech's records indicate that Ryomen Sukuna had met his, quote-on-quote, 'end' sometime during the Edo period, after a great yokai calamity had nearly taken over Japan, by the hand of the same miko who had previously stopped the tsuchigumo hanyo.

Said priestess was written down only as the Shikon no Miko, after the powerful artifact which she guarded, the Shikon no Tama, or The Jewel of Four Souls.

The story of the Shikon no Miko and Ryomen Sukuna is believed to have had only one reason for its beginning: the King of Curses' desire for the Shikon no Tama, as it would grant him access to the Makai, the sealed world of ayakashi governed by the two inuyokai half-brothers.

The main entrance to the Makai is said to reside in Kyoto, with the Himeji castle at its epicentre. Such theories are sadly unconfirmed, as no jujutsu sorcerer has ever stepped foot into the world of ayakashi.

The then-sorcerers of the Heian and Edo periods noted that Ryomen Sukuna's desire for the Makai stemmed from his growing boredom of what the Ningenkai could offer him.

All that said, the Shikon no Miko's involvement in the fall of the most feared jurei in history lacks documentation, as the only veritable piece of information is a written message sent to the jujutsu sorcerers of that time detailing a when and where they should attack.

Ryomen Sukuna was stripped of his power in the Forest of Inuyasha, an area in Tokyo on which the Higure Shrine dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu was built later on during the Himeji era. Said shinto shrine is bare of any records pertaining the method of sealing used.

Jujutsu Tech, to this day, still investigates the legend of the Shikon no Tama in hopes of unearthing the events leading to Ryomen Sukuna's fall.

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Itadori Yuji wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, that he knew, what with the circumstances of his becoming of Sukuna's vessel and less than stellar一 yet still mid-ranking 一marks in school. He was, however, not completely hopeless. That said, most of Gojo-sensei's lecture on the curse inhabiting his body had flown right over his head.

If there was one thing that did register to his mind and on which he dwelled was that一 "Yokai are real?"

Standing next to the whiteboard in front of him was his jujutsu sensei, Gojo Satoru, The Strongest Sorcerer. Said tall man deigned his student with an answer, albeit a bit belatedly. "Hai. Though there hasn't been much contact between Jujutsu Tech and them in recent years."

Yuji hummed, though for a couple of moments, then asked again, "Why did they go into hiding?"

"Hiding?" The white haired man echoed, tilting his head in puzzlement.

The first-year sorcerer elaborated, "Well, if they're as powerful as you say, why did they go into hiding? Curses don't worry about creating a word of their own. They just... roam, I guess."

Smiling at his student, the twenty-eight year old man crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Well, after the Shikon no Miko defeated the tsuchigumo half-yokai, humans started to direct more of their anger towards demons. As you know, negative emotions equal-"

"-Cursed spirits."

"Exactly," The older of the two confirmed. "The only difference was that a jurei born out of humanity's hatred for demonkind was nothing short of a rampaging beast that attacked everything in its sight. So, essentially fed up with mankind's bullshit, yokai went into hiding and created their own little safe heaven."

"So there aren't any demons around now?"

"Not quite." The blindfolded man corrected. "There are, but the most you'd encounter are mamonoke like kappa or everyday's tsukumogami."

"Huh."

Seeing his student lapse into thought and getting lost among all the information that had been dumped on him, Gojo deigned it a perfect time to end their impromptu lesson on the origins of the vessel's curse.

"Dont forget to practice your cursed energy," He added over his shoulder, his gaze falling over the sleeping kumo ningyō on the couch.

"Ah! Hai!"

Somehow, someway, Satoru had the feeling that his student wouldn't be getting much practice done tonight.

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Ryomen Sukuna sat atop his throne of bones, looking down on the teenager that was his vessel, eyes filled with contemplating indecisiveness, mind as if considering if bringing the boy here was even worth it.

Yuji, for his part, was quite confused. This was the first time when meeting the King of Curses and the other soul inhabiting his body hadn't said even one derogatory remark. Honestly speaking, Sukuna's silence was more disturbing than his threats.

"Brat." It appeared that the curse had made its decision, yet hesitation still lined the edges of his expression. The sorcerer's eyes snapped up at the derision, astral body unconsciously tensing. "I have a question for you."

This gave pause to the younger of the two. 'A question?' This was new. Uncharted waters that he knew not how to navigate, because a somewhat polite Sukuna was out of the ordinary.

The curse continued undeterred, ignoring the boy's unease. "If you had the chance to start over with someone, would you go back and meet them again or would you choose not to meet them at all?"

Where was this coming from? And why this question in particular?

"I guess... it depends on our history...?"

The Noroi no O hummed at Yuji's response before glancing to the side as if slapped, thus breaking eye contact with the young sorcerer.

Of course Jujutsu Tech had documents upon documents on him detailing all that they knew of his existence. That had not come as a surprise. Yet here he was, being haunted by memories of long ago.

("You have made so many enemies?" He asked with gentle irony, head propped upon his fisted hand.

"Strangers," She corrects, a forlorn look across her eyes as she looks into the distance. "I seem to make strangers of all the people I meet."

He chuckled, yet his amusement lacked its usual animosity. "How unfitting of one such as yourself."

A pout spread itself across soft lips and azure eyes glanced at him in warning. "You tease too much."

His gaze softens marginally and a small smile pulls at the corners of his lips. "You make it too easy.")

Red eyes narrow, glaring at an invisible entity hidden in the nothingness of this astral plane. The truth is that we are not haunted by the dead. We are haunted by the living and the graveyard of memories they leave in our souls.

(There is a bitter taste on his tongue as he recalls those days.)

Silence reigns in Sukuna's presence. He must have unconsciously sent the kid away. It was better that way. One less pair of eyes to see him so disgruntled over events that have no sway over the world as a whole.

The only sway she ever had, was over his heart and mind.

✂------------------------------------------

upon the (surprisingly) positive feedback i got on the concept of a jjk fanfic, i present my newest work.

it's time for sad boy hours.

Side note: you do not need to have watched Inuyasha to understand this one. Everything is based on Japanese mythology and yokai folklore.