Oripathy, a disease that had plagued Terra for centuries, perhaps ever since the world's existence had been known. Wei Yenwu wasn't completely sure, and neither were some of the greatest scientists that were alive recently. But one thing they all certainly knew one thing about Oripathy at this current facet of time: it was incurable.
So pardon him when presented with such an absurd statement that it would have all countries on Terra on the floor, laughing and clutching their stomachs. The Chief Executive of Lungmen couldn't bring himself to believe such words, but seeing the utterly confident look plastered upon the young man's face had him second guessing everything. Why would Fushiguro Megumi say such a thing? Could it have some merit?
...How could he possess zero Originium in his body? That was the biggest lead on why Wei Yenwu was leaning towards actually believing such a radical statement. Curing Oripathy... "Can you prove such a thing? No... if you can make such a bold statement, then you'd be able to prove it right now," taking a inhale and exhale from his pipe, the Lung couldn't help but feel... nervous?
Why was he nervous? He was facing down an 18 year-old boy, who has never stepped a single foot in the swamp known as the political landscape. Or, that was the information they knew of the black haired man at this moment, and that emotionless look he exuded did not do any benefits of figuring him out. Fushiguro Megumi... 'just what is he?' A low gaze was given from Wei Yenwu, as if attempting to discern anything he could from him.
Ch'en kept silent, not knowing how to butt in the conversation in support of Megumi, or what to even add to it. The outlandish statement would be unbelievable to anybody, and the same thing applied to the blue haired dragon lady. However, he was a man who came from a different place entirely, where Originium never existed, and where his body possessed not a hint of infection or Originium present.
Despite even the little time the black haired man had spent in Lungmen, the fact that he had been in District 9 of all places, and constantly went into battle... it should have meant he had some increase in Originium levels, yet he didn't. Not when checking with the new technology developed by... Rhodes Island? Ch'en recalled the name, but she was getting off topic. Megumi was a mysterious and hard box to open.
"Can I prove such a thing?" Megumi repeated the words of Wei Yenwu, before resting his right ankle on his left knee, sitting in a cross legged position. "Sure, it's easy," propping his chin on his right palm while staring boredly, he stated it with the utmost confidence he could. "If you wish for me to prove it right now, I have two conditions."
If there was one thing Gojo Satoru had taught him about politics, it was leveraging. Take his sensei for example, what did he have to leverage that made him completely unstoppable in Jujutsu Society? That's right, his uncontended strength. An unrivaled power possessed that none could even dare stand against him nor before him to oppose his view. Of course, Megumi had to use a different leveraging method in this case.
"What are these conditions?" Wei Yenwu narrowed his eyes, smoke leaving his breath while he slightly leaned in further. Although he wasn't one who liked to be pushed around with these sorts of things, he was genuinely curious on what this boy was planning to propose. Yet again, those eyes he saw showed no emotion, a corpse through and through.
"One," Megumi raised a singular finger with his left hand, the right still propping his head up, "don't bother me with my stay in Lungmen." His voice casually remarked the line, before his second finger rose up. It was as if a declaration of laws were being created, "two, swear upon these conditions with a Binding Vow."
"Excuse me...?" Wei Yenwu raised an eyebrow at the second condition. He wasn't too worried with the first condition, it was as standard as the Chief Executive believed it to be. However, what was a Binding Vow? Was it some sort of Arts? Or was it related to those mysterious abilities which he possessed.
"Let me give you a demonstration, then," Megumi moved away from his seating posture before standing up, his weight leaving the luxurious couch in which he sat on. "I, Fushiguro Megumi, declare this Binding Vow to Wei Yenwu as follows..."
Under this Binding Vow:
Condition 1: Wei Yenwu must not bother Fushiguro Megumi's stay within Lungmen.
Condition 2: Fushiguro Megumi must cure Ch'en Hui-chieh's Oripathy.
Note: Failure to comply with either condition will have the respective party's body used as collateral.
Wei felt a great flood of information enter his brain, making him squint his gaze to register it completely. 'This sort of thing...' The Lung had only recalled such a thing from the ancient scriptures of Yan, a sort of contract with Feranmuts that would be created in times long in the past.
Could this be one of those contracts? Or was it something completely different? How could it be made, did it relate to Arts? Despite his immense experience with residing in Terra and its political landscape, this sort of thing was completely alien to him.
Turning his gaze towards Megumi and a nervous Ch'en, Wei couldn't help but see the former in a completely different light. He wasn't just a prodigy or a genius, no, he was far from that. Megumi was a monster, with abilities unbecoming of somebody of his age, somebody who held immense power and potential.
"Chief Wei," Megumi called out from his position, "do you accept this Binding Vow?" A question posed to the political mastermind in front of him. There was nothing he could provide other than this, and stomaching his anxiety and paranoia at the moment was the safeguard the Ten Shadows user was relying on.
"Interesting..." Wei Yenwu rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression, reading through the conditions once more. It had flooded his mind without any resistance, and it was up to him whether he wished to deny it or accept it. 'Straight forward, to the point... I wonder, does it have any loop-holes?' Many questions posed themselves in his mind about this enigmatic ability, one that could either be a make or break for him. "...Tell me, what happens if this sort of Binding Vow is broken?"
The Chief Executive had read the little note, determining that breaking the conditions would result in a 'collateral' with one's body. However, the 'collateral' statement was vague, and didn't specify much in it. It didn't answer whether the 'collateral' could be circumvented with immense strength either.
"Your body will explode," Megumi declared with a finality in his voice, "the 'collateral' is unavoidable, not even the greatest of my kind would dare break a Binding Vow." He remembered those words that were ingrained in him by Gojo Satoru. Looking back at it, the absolutely stern look given to him made it very clear and obvious to a singular fact: never break a Binding Vow that involves collateral.
"Greatest of your kind...?" Wei didn't know what that implied, but hearing it was already sufficient enough. Perhaps he wouldn't receive an answer from the ever stoic Fushiguro Megumi, but he could save that for later. "Hmph... I believe these conditions are satisfactory..." The Chief Executive nodded to himself after deliberating in his mind. "Very well then, I, Wei Yenwu, accept these conditions."
Despite the dangers of having this black haired man within the confines of Lungmen, and the threat of political chaos ensuing, just having him cure Ch'en Hui-chieh was enough. The future of Lungmen was entrusted in her hands, after all, and Wei knew at some point; he himself would have to leave a path for her.
The dragon lady in particular exchanged looks between the two, not understanding a single thing they were saying. But from what her mind could... comprehend, they seemed to be undergoing some sort of 'contract' process. 'When the hell did he have some sort of contract abilities...?' What the hell was Megumi going to pull up next?
The feeling of chains encompassing their body and tying their very souls to a singular notion, to follow the Binding Vow. Tethered with their lives to it, an obligation to fulfill a law granted by the universe itself, Fushiguro Megumi and Wei Yenwu closed their eyes to process the feeling.
For Megumi, it was the first time he had ever made a Binding Vow that involved other people. While the feeling of having his life placed on a tightrope wasn't a pleasant one in the slightest, he could breathe with relief that it had paid off. That meant he had a few more days to stay in Lungmen, based on his expectations. Staying in this place permanently was never his plan after all.
On the side of Wei Yenwu, he found it an uncomfortable feeling. Perhaps it was because the man who he had to not impede was right in front of him, but it felt as if his instincts were screaming at him to follow the Binding Vow. Right now, his actions of simply sitting on his seat satisfied his condition, but the other party...
"Will you cure Ch'en Hui-chieh, Fushiguro Megumi? I'll be waiting," his stern voice called out to the 18 year-old man. Wei tapped his pipe with his index finger while it stayed on rest between his thumb and middle. Moving it closer to his mouth, he took yet another huff to let the smoky substance into his body.
"I'll get to it," wanting to get rid of the sensation, Megumi clasped his hands together and called out one name.
"Mizuchi."
He had de-merged Mizuchi when facing off against the group of Blood Hound gang members along with Penguin Logistics. That was how the Ten Shadows user was able to use Divine Dogs against them, because Mizuchi was already taking them up in its Totality.
How he managed to summon it without any hand signs or calling out of the Shikigamis was simple, Megumi had already fulfilled the requirements for landing a hit and forming it. Just keeping it stored with wherever it went when he disabled Shikigamis stalled the time limit.
On more specific matters, the Binding Vow condition where he had to land a blow on all Shikigamis involved never included a time limit. So the black haired man could just land a hit with his Shikigamis once, and was free to form a Totality at any moment. A loop-hole in his Binding Vow, something that he had been giddy to exploit.
But that's besides the point. Turning his thoughts elsewhere, Megumi focused on the large puddle that had formed in the room, one unaffected by the vibrant lights. Perhaps he should have put more thought into forming it, because both Ch'en and Wei Yenwu tensed up at his spike of Cursed Energy. The former was more used, but the latter wasn't.
"Chief Wei, calm down!" The blue haired dragon lady saw the Chief Executive nearly strike out with his fists, so she called out to the man, "It doesn't pose any danger!" Ch'en watched his gaze meet with hers, the other Lung heaving a deep breath before his nerves seemingly steadied once more.
"I see..." Wei had slightly backed off, but observed with great interest when a gigantic head of a dragon peered from the shadows. It bore the exact same appearance as the Water Dragon flying all across news channels and articles. Bulging eyes, multiple patterned colors, and four total horns; two of which were that of a deer's and the other two that of an ox's. 'This sort of energy far contrasts with Fushiguro Megumi's own...'
Bizarre and unnatural, the immense negative energy from the summoner was completely opposite of the positive energy of this creature. Wei knew it looked to be some sort of mythological creature depicted from Yan's mythological scrolls, but it never matched any of the creatures one-to-one. There was a common understanding that 'Beastkin' could be an ally to an exceptional Arts user...
...But this one was no Beastkin, the dragon peering out from the puddle felt like some sort of divine being forged from this foreign energy he was feeling. Ethereal, calming, and all words associated with those two; that was all Wei felt from it. Influential in its nature, even Wei felt as if he could let his guard down in front of it.
"How will this cure Ch'en Hui-chieh's... infection?" It was still difficult for the Chief Executive to speak of her Oripathy so casually, but the Feline was already out of the bag. Fushiguro Megumi could tell a person's infection level from Wei's eyes, so there was no need to be vague in front of him.
"Simple, just have her touch it," Megumi replied, moving away from the dragon to 'casually' rest on the couch. "Go ahead, Ch'en," he remembered how Gojo Satoru would act when in the presence of one of the Three Big Clans. The casual confidence Gojo exuded let him completely dominate most of the meetings that he had attended, and Megumi was usually forced to go with him despite the protests he gave. He wasn't Gojo Satoru, but he sure as hell could learn from him.
Perhaps the suspicious gaze of Wei Yenwu wasn't the best thing that he could have received today, but it certainly wasn't the worst. Now, Megumi had to decide on his next course of action, all the while glancing at Ch'en lightly touching the head of Mizuchi.
***
There were many things that were unknown in the world of Terra. Wei Yenwu had heard 'rumors' of the North, how there were monsters there far beyond humanity's comprehension. Not only that, but the seas were another unknown and mysterious factor, something unexplored and not fully grasped by scientists. That wasn't even touching on the topic of Originium and where it came from.
Being the brother of the current Emperor of Yan, the Chief Executive of Lungmen was aware of the presence of many abnormalities in Terra. But neither could he nor the Emperor could truly claim that they understood what caused them, what they were, or what they were there to do. This meeting had only affirmed what he knew, and it was that he barely knew much about Terra.
A random... seemingly Aegirian boy comes into his meeting with barely any political experience that he knows of, claims to know of Ch'en Hui-chieh's infection, and cures it. Out of anybody on Terra, there had not been a singular method or Arts that could cure goddamned Oripathy. The tests and results were in, with the new BOCD detector from Rhodes Island, Ch'en's Originium levels have dropped; and her Oripathy stage has been reduced to thinning the line of infection.
When Wei glanced at those uncaring and despondent eyes of Fushiguro Megumi, he had to ask himself, 'is he this confident in his abilities? Or does he truly not care about the world?' The black haired man's gaze was that of a soldier who had nothing to lose. Suicidal, yes, but at the same time, extremely dangerous.
What would the Chief Executive need to do about this? Of course, he had to make use of this... 'tool' that had presented itself in front of him. Whether it be keeping him away from the eyes of the other countries, or to reap any benefits that would have him in Lungmen, Wei already had a hundred plans formulating in his head.
To be honest, he found his arrival to be an absolute headache, with all the incidents happening around Lungmen with his damned mythological summonings. However, the Chief Executive knew Fushiguro Megumi's objectives somewhat, and that was to stay out of trouble. Why else would he be so compliant with the LGD? Why else would he set that condition for his 'Binding Vow?'
'Although he shows no emotion, his actions reveal everything,' a weakness, Wei Yenwu had found a weakness within Megumi. 'For now, I'll simply see how this goes about. Tell me, will I be able to trust your words, Fushiguro Megumi?' Unnatural in all senses of the word, the Lung found that description fitting for him.
While he continued to stare off into the cityscape of Lungmen, he motioned with his hand in the direction behind himself. Feeling the shadows shifting and his Shadow Guards entering into view, Wei nodded to himself before speaking up, "all of you, I'm sure you're aware of the conditions that have been set upon me."
The Shadow Guards immediately kneeled and nodded their heads, not a sound coming out of their mouths. They knew of the conditions set, but that did not mean they were completely satisfied with it either. But they knew better than to completely question Wei Yenwu's choices, especially since this one was made so quickly.
"I'll let all of you decide..." Wei knew that he couldn't obstruct Fushiguro Megumi's stay in Lungmen, and that would be sending his Shadow Guards on his own 'voluntary' decision. However, "...whether you, yourselves, wish to continue to observe Fushiguro Megumi." A loop-hole, something that the Lung was quick to capitalize on.
"Though, with his contributions in curing Ch'en Hui-chieh's Oripathy..." Wei paused for a moment to take another round of his pipe, most likely the last one. "...I forbid any of you to take his life, unless his actions are utterly absurd."
With a wave of his hand, he spoke once more, "you're all dismissed." A declaration that held the entire might of Lungmen, a near iron-cladded fist that hung over the entire city.
With those words, all of the Shadow Guards immediately fled out of view, a singular and unanimous decision coming to all of them: observe Fushiguro Megumi.
If they played their cards right, then no calamity would strike either them or Wei Yenwu, now would it? Making sure such an anomaly didn't afflict Lungmen was their top priority, and seeing all the troubles Megumi had caused, it was only natural.
Even if the worst case scenario came, they believed the dragon known as 'Mizuchi' wouldn't be too much of a difficult obstacle, especially if they worked together. That seemed to be the summoner's trump card, and they had already assessed that those 'Chimera Birds' would be no problem either.
Based on their full assessment... Just one of the Shadow Guards was capable enough to block Chi Xiao, the Dragon Slaying sword, with their wrists. There was nothing that the black haired man held that could possibly threaten them.
With that, their plans have been set into motion.
***
Megumi and Ch'en sat at the waiting area of the receptionist's desk for just a brief moment of respite. Having gone through an entire entourage of events that could turn Terra upside down. It wasn't just an isolated issue in Lungmen, nor a worst-case scenario prediction if the information of the 'Chimera Bird' and 'Shadow Tiger' leaked out; it would be guaranteed chaos.
"Unbelievable..." Ch'en muttered, massaging her forehead and letting the previous events pass her by. Since when did Fushiguro Megumi become so confident? Last time she remembered, he was a stoic, yet easily pushed over type of person. Was her assessment completely wrong?
Taking a glance at the black haired man, she realized that some of that notion was still correct. What Ch'en saw was a black haired man lightly breathing to himself, small beads of sweat on the back of his neck, and a relieved look in his eyes. Not a single word was exchanged back to her, and she didn't know what thoughts were going through his head right now.
Turning away from him, the dragon lady heaved a long sigh before glancing at her hand, noticing that they had been shaking ever since she had touched Mizuchi. The dragon had... literally gotten rid of her Oripathy. Originium density in her blood was still a thing, but the fact that she wasn't infected anymore...
...Still felt like a complete shocker, something so absurd that it could only come out of her dreams. Did Ch'en regret becoming infected with her reckless actions back then? Of course she did. But then, at the same time, the Superintendent was able to truly understand what the infected felt. Why was it that she was the only one to be provided with such a cure?
"I can't tell if what you've done today is a gigantic fuck up..." Ch'en didn't hesitate at all to spout a Lungmen profanity, "...or you're just that confident with keeping all this hidden." The dragon lady was completely betting on the former.
"Is there a problem?" Megumi finally spoke up, voice tired and eyes stressed, "you're no longer infected. You don't have to hide it or anything, and nobody will look at you like an outcast." Moving his hands to rub his face in a downward motion, he let out a groan.
"That isn't the point," Ch'en scowled at him, "the implications this brings, as Chief Wei said before, you're actively screwing over your life with what you did." She didn't want to mention the problems it would cause for Lungmen either, as it would seem overly selfish.
"Then I should just..." Megumi narrowed his eyes, stopping his words at the last moment. "...Nevermind, it's over, right?" He turned to Ch'en with half-lidded eyes, "let's just go back."
"Don't change the subject," Ch'en grabbed onto his shoulders, slightly shaking him to get his attention fully on her. "I'm grateful as hell for curing my Oripathy... but you can't go around doing this shit as casually as you did before, do you understand?"
"I know," Megumi felt his eyebrows twitch when staring into Ch'en's eyes, "Wei Yenwu isn't stupid enough to have this sort of information presented everywhere, is he? He cares more about Lungmen than whatever I have to offer." It was merely conjecture, but that was the best outlook he could have on the Chief Executive.
"Since when were you so good at reading people?" Ch'en sarcastically pointed out, "sure, I guess that 'Binding Vow' would keep his lips shut, but if it were with anybody else..."
Megumi continued to bear the brunt Ch'en's rambles, feeling a headache form in his head with each word she spoke out. At that point, the black haired man had been half listening to her, letting one word flow in the ear and out the other.
A different and more pressing matter was in his line of focus at the moment. Lungmen, his own position within this city was already compromised. If the screw-up he had done with Nue: Totality, Tiger Funeral, and Mizuchi could be brushed away... then Megumi already knew his actions in Wei Yenwu's office would never be able to.
Temporarily, he had settled himself in a good spot. However, in the long run, the black haired man knew that this sort of action would have incomprehensible backlash towards himself. That was why he decided... "Ch'en."
"So yo-," Ch'en paused her words, when hearing Megumi's voice intersected with her own. Blinking a few times, she fully registered the look in his eyes, a decrepit light shining through it. "-What is it...?" The blue haired Lung didn't like the look, it continued to disturb her to no end. It was as if Megumi was willing to throw everything away.
"The Blood Hounds," Megumi spoke slowly, his tone betraying no emotion. "You've gathered a lot of information on them the past week, right?" Like he had dictated in his mind before, the Ten Shadows user had completely decided his next course of action.
"Why are you asking this?" Ch'en neither confirmed nor denied it, because there was no need to. Knowing the black haired man, she knew he could already conjecture a general idea of what the LGD had scrapped up so far. Megumi spent most of his time in the LGD Headquarters after all, if he were out of the training room.
"Just answer me," Megumi didn't want to elaborate any further, because he had already decided to leave Lungmen. His presence would only cause trouble, just as it had caused trouble during the Culling Games, inadvertently risking Ryomen Sukuna taking over his body. Guess what? The King of Curses had succeeded, and brought on a chain of events that ruined absolutely everything.
It was all his fault, and Megumi knew it would continue to be all his fault if Lungmen were to face any more problems. Deciding to cure Ch'en's Oripathy was a decision he had already known the consequences of, and indulging it was done fully on purpose.
So what now? It was simple, the Ten Shadows user could at least do one thing for Lungmen before he vanished.
Ch'en stared silently into his eyes, as if she were falling into an endless void of shadows. There was nothing there in which she could understand, nor which she could even begin to fathom. She wished she knew more of this man, she wished she knew what the hell happened in 'Shinjuku.' Yet just as she was oblivious to Wei Yenwu's silent plans for Lungmen, so was she to Fushiguro Megumi's intentions.
Ch'en knew of her own ignorance, and she loathed it to no end.
"Ch'en," Megumi reiterated her name once more, to break the woman out of her stupor, "is it not a matter I should know? Is my clearance level or something not high enough? I get it, I'm not in the position to-"
"-Just shut the hell up," Ch'en groaned while looking down, gritting her teeth with an angered expression. Mumbling to herself a few more Lungmen profanities, the woman turned upward to look at Megumi once more, "I need a drink." The amount of stress this man was giving her wasn't something Ch'en felt like could blow over. She needed something else to deal with this.
Especially with how her Oripathy had been cured, Ch'en had to be absolutely sure she wasn't stuck in some fever dream. What better way than to indulge herself in alcohol?
Megumi raised an eyebrow, but nodded slowly. Right after though, Ch'en stood up and grabbed him by the arm, swiftly dragging him out of the building.
***
The feel of alcohol continued to pervade the air. It wasn't a familiar sensation to Megumi, considering how much effort he spent avoiding such a toxic liquid. It was half because of his sister's nagging, and half because Gojo Satoru would be recording all the stupid things he would do while drunk.
Stupid things such as spouting cuss words like a machine, because Gojo told him to. Oh, right, he forgot, Megumi almost leveled an entire city by calling upon a certain Shikigami in a drunken state, but the Strongest Sorcerer was fast enough to stop him from doing so. So it was at that very moment he decided there was a third reason he wouldn't ever touch alcohol.
So despite the many times Ch'en shoved a small cup filled with Lungmen alcohol in it, the black haired man continued to repeatedly refuse her offer. "I don't drink alcohol, Ch'en," feeling a small bout of annoyance come up within him, Megumi pushed away her offer for the umpteenth time.
"Ugh, boring..." Ch'en grumbled to herself while taking a swig of the cup herself, downing the entire drink in one go. The dragon lady had already had an unhealthy amount of shots earlier, evident by her flushed cheeks and drowsy eyes.
"Are you sure you should be having alcohol at this time in the day?" Megumi pulled back when the woman slumped over the bar.
"The hell do you mean... you want more information about the Blood Hounds?" Ch'en could only stare in the direction of her face, finding it too much effort to even move her eyes. "Are you attempting to do something stupid, again?"
"I don't think it's stupid," Megumi replied. In his mind, it was the only logical decision he could make where everybody would benefit. He gets out of Lungmen and doesn't have to deal with anymore troubles, and the LGD won't have to worry about any more mythological beasts sprouting out from his ass. "In fact, I'm just curious about the information you found out."
"Tch," Ch'en clicked her tongue, "if you want to know so bad... then they're expected to be having some sort of gathering." The woman recalled the information gained from Swire and Lin, how they were expected to hold some sort of fancy meeting with Lungmen's other criminal bigshots. Most of them originated from Siracusa, though, most likely some sort of alliance between the gang members and mafiosi.
"So, the LGD is going to intercept them?" Megumi deduced, putting on a look of concentration. It was only logical, from what he knew of special forces back on Earth, they usually infiltrated suspicious crime gatherings such as this.
"We can't," Ch'en replied, tapping impatiently on the bar table, "we don't have enough evidence. What I said was that they're 'expected' to, and the information we received was very vague in the first place." It would be a problem if it were just some gathering between rich people, and the LGD were to raid it.
"Plant a spy in there?" Megumi suggested, "Swire is part of the rich society, isn't she? She could probably get somebody in." That wasn't including Lin either, considering the Zalak had a lot of influence in the underworld.
"Rich folks here don't really like Swire," Ch'en rolled her eyes, "I guess they just tolerate her dumb ass. If she asked to get into a gathering like that, she'd just be rejected. More so if it is an actual criminal gathering."
"Lin?" Megumi brought up her name. She was influential and had a lot of standing in the underworld. Though, there was a huge chance the woman wouldn't be allowed in if it was actual gathering of the Blood Hounds and whatever criminals were tumoring in Lungmen.
"She's busy today," Ch'en replied, "and I'm sure you already know Lin's already butting heads with the Blood Hounds and Siracusan mafiosi..." Now that she thought about it, the amount of people coming in from Siracusa to screw with Lungmen was getting way too high. At this point, she wished she could just barge into there and arrest every single one of those bastards.
"Hm," Megumi nodded to himself, "I saw a large skyscraper while we drove to Wei Yenwu's building, and had a lot of fancy lights coming out of it." He drew out his voice, taking a discreet glance at Ch'en while speaking. The decision to bring this up was because he already knew what was happening there, and only needed confirmation.
"Wow, you already know their location?" Ch'en muttered out in a drunken stupor, "yeah, that's about the place where they're going to- wait..." the woman sprang up with her eyes slightly widening. An aggravating sense of realization had struck her, "...You. What the hell are you trying to-?"
Reinforcing his hand with Cursed Energy, Megumi silently moved with great precision and speed, pressing it against Ch'en's forehead. The woman was drunk and out of her normally keen senses, so the technique used by Gojo was an easily accessible option to knock her out.
"Hey-!" Ch'en felt a small pressure envelop her forehead, moving her hand to cover the weird sensation, but found her sight starting to dim. However, right before she fully fell unconscious, the drunk dragon lady grabbed Megumi by the collar, ruffling his clothes and making him blink in shock. "This..."
Megumi felt the grip loosening, the woman falling on his chest. Moving his hands, he grabbed her by the shoulders before she completely fell, "That's that..." he mumbled to himself, before moving onto the next course of his plan. 'Bring her back to the LGD where she's safe... and then crash a party. Alright, let's get this over with.'
Despite the other people in the bar, Megumi acted fast enough where it looked like Ch'en just fainted from the amount of alcohol she undertook. Bringing her into a piggyback ride, he pushed in his chair and set his next location to be the LGD Headquarters.
***
"Megumi?" Hoshiguma was witnessing a bizarre sight. Ch'en was being carried, presumably drunk out of her mind, by Fushiguro Megumi. The black haired man looked like he was just about done with everything, but the Oni couldn't really understand the deeper implications of his feelings. "What happened to her?"
Walking upwards, Megumi sighed before opening his mouth, "well, after the meeting with Wei, she decided to have a 'little' drink." He placed emphasis on 'little,' hoping that Hoshiguma would fall for his words and not assume that he took advantage to knock her out when she was drunk. "So, could you look after her? I already called Lin to watch over me."
Hoshiguma tilted her head, "sure, how did the meeting go, anyways?" Receiving Ch'en gently, the LGD officer noted how the dragon lady kept a strong grip on Megumi despite being unconscious.
"It went... alright," Megumi replied, trying to pry Ch'en's grip off of his body. "Is she usually like this?" Act natural, he needed to act completely natural.
"She actually is, believe it or not," Hoshiguma helped the black haired man completely get the blue haired Lung off of him. With one tug of effort, the Superintendent's grip slid off of his clothes, "Swire said she was clinging to me when she went dead drunk last time. So I guess this sort of thing is to be expected."
Megumi felt the weight leave his body, almost feeling the need to comment on Ch'en's gorilla strength... but decided against it. "Well, I thought she would be more responsible with drinking," he didn't feel bad for throwing her under the bus like this, but it was one of the few true things he could note about her. "Doesn't matter much, though, I'll be going to where Lin is."
"Yeah, sorry about the captain's behavior," Hoshiguma rubbed the back of her neck, "but I think this is... sort of a good thing with how much sleep she's been missing." The woman muttered under her breath. This was most apparent with how much of a workaholic Ch'en was, "with how things went with Chief Wei, I'd assume you have nothing else to worry about."
"Probably," Megumi turned away, before continuing on to exit the building. "I'll see you some other time, then," giving Hoshiguma one last wave before departing completely, an uncomfortable feeling overcame him.
The Oni lady watched him depart, before turning to the sleeping woman in her arms, "seriously, captain? Got drunk in front of him of all times?" Hoshiguma couldn't help but shake her head. Standing up, something continued to pry at her nerves, making the Oni feel as if something was wrong.
Hoshiguma wouldn't call herself the greatest judge of character, or the best at reading others emotions. But the look in Megumi's eyes looked as if they were dead set on something, uncaring if he burnt himself in the process. But what could have caused something like that? Those two had a successful meeting with Chief Wei, didn't they?
While moving Ch'en to a more comfortable location to sleep, Hoshiguma shook her head to clear her thoughts. The only time the dragon lady ever got drunk was when she was in a really good mood. From what she could put together, the Oni assumed that the meeting was such a success that Ch'en decided to hit a bar with Megumi.
...Still, it didn't answer that uncanny look in his eyes.
***
"You called?" Lin placed the phone by her ear, wondering why Megumi had called her at such a time. She wasn't particularly busy, but somebody like Ch'en would most likely prevent this sort of thing from happening.
"Yeah, just wanted to say the meeting went well," the voice from the phone was Fushiguro Megumi. There was something odd with the way he spoke, completely breaking away from the usual stoicness he held. "Wondered how this new phone would work after Ch'en gave it to me. So I decided to call you."
"Things went well, huh?" Lin nodded to herself. Dealing with Wei Yenwu wasn't too much of a problem for her, considering they were on good terms. But somebody like Fushiguro Megumi, who had been the cause of many events across Lungmen might not get off too easily. "I'm glad, with how difficult Chief Wei can be... nevermind. Where's Ch'en anyways? I wouldn't have expected she would let you call me."
"...Thanks, Lin." The voice strangely didn't answer her question at all.
"Excuse me?" Lin didn't know how to respond to that. The black haired man didn't even answer her previous question, but instead decided to thank her? "I don't recall doing anything that would elicit a thanks." Closing her eyes, she tried to think of anything that could have... but found nothing.
"Whatever," the familiar deadpan voice of Megumi rang out from the phone, something that Lin was slightly relieved to hear. "Just wanted to say thanks, nothing more."
The phone she held rang out with a small beep, signaling that the call had ended with the electronic sound. Lin silently put it down and placed it in her pockets, before deciding to get on with the rest of the day. However, the words Megumi spoke to her still felt somewhat unnatural... or maybe she was overthinking things.
Yeah, that was probably it. Maybe she should invite him to a highly rated restaurant once it was her turn to observe him.
***
Megumi continued walking down the streets, the uncanny feeling that something had been watching him kept prickling at his senses. He didn't know who it was, nor why they were following him. Many speculations could be made, but the Ten Shadows user wasn't completely sure what it could accurately be.
One thing he knew for sure, was that they surpassed Lappland with the strength level they were at. It was only natural for a Sorcerer to be accustomed to danger, the main backbone for their Cursed Energy was negative emotions after all. So when this sort of situation was presented to a Sorcerer, they would know whether to step out of a mission or not.
For Megumi? He didn't know what to do. Despite walking through the bustling crowd of civilians and practically becoming one with their flow, there was no sense of security he felt from it. Terra was still a completely unknown place to him, and a singular city like this couldn't tell him everything about it.
Opponents such as Lappland and Ch'en's powerful red sword were a complete shocker to him, but it would be foolish to assume they were the best this world had to offer. This became far more apparent when being at the focal point of whoever these powerful people were. If Megumi had to compare, just one of these people was on par with that Heavenly Restricted man back in Shibuya.
Or for a better comparison, on par with Maki. This was merely an assumption from what Megumi felt from them, the 'aura' these Terrans possessed was far more detectable than a Heavenly Restriction. Considering how the latter didn't even have an aura at all.
'Could they be from Wei Yenwu?' Megumi warily turned his gaze all across the street. Buildings, shops, and stores decorated with vibrant colors came into his sights. They were natural, something that he was familiar with after spending an entire week in 'relaxation.'
However, unless he had found a loop-hole with the... 'he already found a loophole, didn't he?' Megumi clenched his fists, careful enough to not let his Cursed Energy leak through his body. The black haired man made sure to not make the Binding Vow specific, considering that it might make the draconic man reject it.
'This complicates things,' of course, not everything would go Megumi's way. That was to be expected in the line of Jujutsu So-, what was he talking about? He wasn't in Jujutsu Society anymore.
Gojo Satoru would always tell him to be more selfish, and would probably scoff at whatever plan he had concocted in his desperate bid to get out of this city. But Megumi would argue with the white haired man that what he was doing was completely selfish, considering it was to ensure that he wouldn't have to deal with any political mess that came with curing Ch'en's Oripathy.
By the time any other country found out about what happened in Lungmen, he would have already been gone, and all of his summons would eventually be forgotten in the avenues of time. Sure, there were some scientists that were studying the destruction of Originium particles in District 9 and the outskirts of Lungmen, but it was also caused by his Shikigamis.
With Fushiguro Megumi completely out of the picture, this city will function as normally as it would before he even arrived here. The problem was that he could only 'hope' for that sort of thing to happen. That was what made it so selfish, he was looking at this entire situation through a single lens, and that was his own.
Crashing the criminal gathering was simply a way for him to repay the debt he owed the LGD and Lungmen, after all of the problems he had caused. There was nothing more to it, if anything, Megumi wished to get out of their sights and live in solitude. This was for his own sake, and his own sake only...
'Would Yuji want this?' Megumi paused in his steps, forgetting the shadowy gazes that were boring into his skin. 'Would Tsumiki want this?' How would they see his actions right now...? He was just running away from the problem at this point, but what other option did he have? 'Damn it,' the black haired man gripped his head, an echoing clamor forming in his brain.
Making these sorts of abrasive decisions wasn't one that Megumi was fond of, nor did he actively attempt to reason with them. But right now, those shadows keeping watch of him from their vantage point was making him nervous.
Glancing upwards, he saw the building that Wei Yenwu resided in. Shifting his gaze elsewhere, there was another building which towered over the rest. It didn't reach the heights of the Chief Executive's but it definitely screamed some sort of prestige. Megumi was sure if he were to ask anybody on the street right now what that building was, they'd reply with, 'some sort of rich hotel.'
'Ignore whoever's observing me, I can deal with them later,' although Megumi wasn't confident in facing them in battle, he was confident in running away. After all, he had many options that could provide a good distraction, especially his accessibility to literal flight. Right now, all he had to do was clean up the scum that had dug their claws into Lungmen.
***
Lappland was wondering who all of these stalkers that Megumi gained were. Although it was difficult to tail them, as much as she didn't like to admit it, gaining the attention of powerful people such as these was never a good sign. 'Damn, what did that little wolf get into this time?' The woman had only heard urban rumors about these black cloaked people, but the white haired Lupo knew for a fact they were some sort of elite SpecOps of Lungmen.
Though, that was the only specifics she knew. Anything else pertaining to information about them would be a closely guarded secret, one that Lappland didn't have the motivation to slog through. In fact, she didn't have much experience in intel gathering either, that sort of thing would be Texas' specialty.
The late morning sun was flashing its rays of light upon Lungmen, and Lappland was starting to feel as if this was going to be a very eventful day. Seeing that look in Fushiguro Megumi's eyes only made her more excited to see what he would do. 'He probably already knows he's being tailed by all of these shadows, doesn't he?' The awareness in his eyes and tense posture gave it all away.
The Lupo wondered if she was going to see him at his peak. Just like a week ago, when he completely crashed out and summoned that dragon despite the consequences. Glancing upwards, she turned her gaze to some other place. From what Lappland could tell, he was approaching some sort of building off in the distance, but it was simply a guess.
The towering skyscraper that was crafted with sturdy steel and magnificent bullet-proof glass. Yes, it was bullet-proof glass, one that would be advertised by Laterano itself in its capability of stopping their own bullets. A monopoly of those sorts of things was obvious for them, considering how they hold the title for the country that makes guns.
'That's where those Blood Hounds are gonna have their little get-together, huh?' Lappland grinned to herself, questioning what purpose he had over there. She knew the man had bad blood with them, to the point where he didn't hesitate to slaughter them. But heading straight to where they were at their highest concentration?
Megumi was planning to do something big, something that Lappland couldn't stop herself from being excited over. It reminded her of that time when she was assigned with chasing down Texas and dealing with her personally... but this time, the white haired Lupo was observing what this man did next on her own volition.
'Will you show me something just as interesting as Texas?' Chuckling to herself, Lappland stared up at the sun. From what she knew, the meeting between those Siracusan bigshots (for Lungmen standards) with the Blood Hounds would happen when the sun started to set. Attacking such a place would invoke the ire of many famiglias back in Siracusa, and that wasn't including what the Blood Hounds would do.
Lappland had kept the scene of that dragon in her mind for the longest while, the summon that far surpassed that... 'Tiger Funeral' which was thrashing her across the building. Honestly, she quivered whenever she thought of facing it, in both ecstasy and fear. It was like staring at something far beyond her level, an impossibility she could never take down.
A mountain never to be scaled, just as Siracusa was a swamp she would never be able to flee.
Shaking her head aggressively, she knew the former option was far more accessible than the latter. After all, the woman still had to prove to Texas that escaping from Siracusa would only serve to bring her back eventually. Which was why, Lappland was going to scale the mountain that was Fushiguro Megumi.
The difficulty between them was like heaven and earth, so the Lupo felt much more confident in reassuring herself of defeating him once she got stronger.
Well, all she could do right now was wait for the sun to set before crashing the party with him! Having planned everything out, Lappland leapt off the building, letting the wind blow against her wild hair. If those shadows following him truly pushed Megumi to his limits, then she knew it would be a holy sight to see.
'Guess we'll have to work together on one thing,' Lappland didn't like those Blood Hound pups anyways, and she held just about the same opinion as those Siracusan mafiosi who couldn't handle the climate of Siracusa; and decided that it was better to stay in Lungmen. Although she didn't feel as strongly against the latter, the Lupo was definitely going to show them that they weren't safe from Siracusa's Lone Wolf even when in another country.
***
Enjoying his meal, that was the best Megumi could do at the moment while waiting for the sun to set. He had already gone through the shadows to observe the situation, sneaking across the rooms without being detected. From what he surveyed, hardly anybody had arrived there yet, and preparations for their extravagant party was just in place.
Well, enjoying a meal with eviscerated taste buds wasn't something the black haired man would say was pleasant at all. He simply decided to eat to pile up energy in his body, especially with the big event that he had set for himself.
The adrenaline in his body kept piling up higher and higher the more Megumi waited. It was like a stack of paper that would eventually collapse, and it didn't help that he needed to do this fast enough before the LGD found out. Especially Ch'en, the woman would crush his skull after figuring out his actions.
What he ate was fries put in some sort of liquidy peach sauce, one that looked to be a mixture of ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. Or that was what he was assuming from its viscous state, flowing gently down his perfectly cooked and crispy fries.
...Megumi was attempting to distract himself, that much was obvious in his mind. Staring out into the distance of the fast food restaurant, he listlessly watched the citizens come and go. Now that he thought about it, he used to be one of those people when in his younger years. Back before his parents decided to ditch him, and the black haired man still didn't know about their whereabouts.
Not that it mattered anyways, whether they were dead in some sort of ditch or out there enjoying the best life they could, Megumi was indifferent. Well, he didn't know much about his mother, considering she died when he was a baby, and babies didn't remember anything during their time. His father, though...
...Yeah, he could get as many strays as he wished. Whoever the man was, Megumi knew they were alive and kicking.
'This is one of my problems...' The Ten Shadows glared outside the window when becoming self-aware of his vices. Megumi knew that he showed an exterior of not caring, like an exoskeleton chitin of a bug. But underneath, the black haired man really did care about many things, no matter how much he wished to deny them.
Was it a benefit? Sometimes. Was it a flaw? Sometimes. That was all there was to it, but having to point it out for himself was an uncomfortable feeling. It made things worse when there truly were better things to focus at the moment, such as planning how he could refine the plan to invade the criminal gathering.
"Busy, aren't you?" A voice came to Megumi's right. The aura emanating from it was... horrendously familiar. If the black haired man had to describe it, it was like distorted musical notes flowing in the air.
"Seriously?" Megumi closed his eyes, wondering if his day was going to become even worse. "What do you want?" Turning his gaze towards the person, he was granted with the familiar and exotic sight of black shard wings and halo. 'I thought she had already left Lungmen? Or was...'
"If you're curious of my presence here," Arturia placed a hand on her chest while taking a seat by him, a very noticeable chagrin making itself known on Megumi's face. "I simply have one day left before I return to Leithanien, what better way than to visit such an interesting soul during this time?" The woman sounded like she danced with her words, as a musician would under the liquor of their own music.
Rolling his eyes, Megumi knew she wasn't stupid enough to start playing her blasted instrument in this restaurant. Instead, he turned away and back to the window, finding the many variations of outfits the passersby wore to be more interesting.
"Are you interested in their lives," Arturia leaned in and whispered into his ears, gazing outside the window with him. "Hundreds of people within your sight, all moving on a different river than any other," it was a fascinating thing for her, to see all the experiences everybody held.
"Why do you care?" Megumi called out in a tone as flat as her chest, "their lives have nothing to do with you. In fact, I'm sure you're just an intruder in their eyes." Tapping the table while speaking his scathing remarks, the Ten Shadows user couldn't understand what the Sankta was getting at.
"Isn't that quite a harsh assessment?" Arturia smiled softly, not at all heeded by his words, "everybody is burdened by the chains of their lives, always hiding behind those little masks that they scrape together and place on their faces." The woman continued on, "I merely seek to liberate them from such a fallacious way of living."
"What's with you and wanting to... 'liberate' people from them?" Megumi pointed out, "or are you short sighted enough to think it causes every single problem?" Once again, these people that were stalking him, he couldn't understand. Not only did he have to worry about this woman and Lappland, but also those new additions, in the form of... people who he didn't even have a clue about.
"My, you're just as straightforward as he is," Arturia closed her eyes with a serene expression. The black gloved hands of hers interlocked together, before leaning forward and placing her chin atop it. "Yet, you lack the same mental security he has, the security of truly not understanding one's own feelings."
"What are you getting at?" Megumi grabbed a fry, before popping it in his mouth. There was no enjoyment in the bite as usual, just a necessity he needed to continue living.
"Unstable, broken, and lost. That's all I feel from you," Arturia listed all of them out, "regret. You regret many things, don't you?" Her head swayed while speaking. "Yet at this moment, you are simply lashing out at this cruel world, before abandoning all problems behind you, this is how you truly feel, isn't it?"
"Your abilities relate to reading emotions..." Megumi didn't care for a single thing she said, only focusing on ways to counter her. "...And some sort of way to amplify emotions, all means which I have a way of dealing with," it simply served as a warning towards her, to tell Arturia to cut out whatever she wished to do.
"How cruel," Arturia spoke out with faux hurt, "where was I? Ah, right, you're truly acting upon what you wish, unfettered by any constraints." The Sankta spoke as if she were simply stating a fact, "wouldn't you want to be furthermore liberated while acting upon them?"
"If I'm 'furthermore liberated,' then that means you wouldn't mind a dagger between your eyes?" Megumi took another bite of his meal, stating his threat as simply as he could. "I have no qualms with killing somebody as unreasonable as you are," indeed, there was no reason to believe she would ever follow a logical line of thinking.
"Oh, I wouldn't mind," Arturia turned to him with a smile, "if that is truly how you wish to act, then it would be quite a joy to experience it myself."
"There's no reasoning with you, I was right," Megumi looked away with an annoyed expression. "You're nothing more than a calamity."
"A calamity? Is that not the role you wish to undertake?" Arturia tilted her head with interest, "to slaughter all those who you deem as unlawful?"
"That is far from a calamity," Megumi was wondering when this woman would leave, "you're more fitting for it. Going around and making people act without restraint."
"Ah, if only you could feel as I do," Arturia looked away with a disappointed look, "to see the world through my own eyes... as I do with your own."
"You're seeing nothing," Megumi didn't even have the energy to glare at her.
"I can't see through your memories, considering how fractured it is. But I understand you for all of your actions and desires," Arturia replied, not before taking a piece of fry from Megumi's plate and eating one herself. Letting the taste register before swallowing, she spoke, "it must be agonizing to never be able to savor a meal." That singular action was made to prove her point.
"Of course..." Megumi pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling his already non-existent appetite vanish. "I don't care about your ideal world, go ahead and leave me alone," no matter how much he emphasized this, the Sankta woman wouldn't listen, would she? That much was already established from what he could tell.
Arturia hummed to herself, before grabbing Megumi's wrist that laid on the table, and leaning in closer to his ear, "I can see it already, at the ebb of the setting sun, you will truly let yourself fly amongst the clouds, free as a bird can be." Before her eyes was this man at his most unrestricted, acting selfishly on what he truly desired.
Megumi stayed silent, slightly recoiling back at her invasion of his privacy.
"I only wish I could have guided you across this path, with my own hands upon this instrument of mine," her voice was barely a whisper, but it conveyed the entire message the Sankta wished to speak. "So go ahead and spread your wings, act how you truly wish, far above that veil of yours."
Megumi felt the grip untightening, before Arturia stood up and moved away from his location. He noticed the other customers sending glances towards their way, but ignored it. If anything, the disturbed feeling he had completely washed over any embarrassment he could feel in this situation.
Arturia leaned down and picked up her cello case, before speaking her last words to him, "I'll be watching your performance, as an audience would to their idol of adoration." She took a small formal bow, one reminiscent of an actor on a stage, "so won't you take the next step?"
Megumi placed his shoulder on the table, propping his chin on it with an unamused expression, "don't trip over your steps, then."
The ticking of the clock was like a wheel, and it had already rotated its final course.
***
Self-absorbent and littered with untold amounts of sin. Just one room of this materialistic and gold-embedded hall was enough for Megumi to get a full feel of what sort of place this truly was. Keeping his vision clear, he saw many people move about, the majority of them wearing golden masks of foxes or wolves.
The ears atop their head completely gave away their identity, and the formal suits worn were expensive enough to provide the entire slums with food to last them an entire week. Yet these criminals had the audacity to enjoy such a needless luxury built upon the blood of the innocent. Just that thought already made Megumi shrink his pupils in silent anger.
The chattering was starting to get on his nerves, and the careless way they moved about as if there was no danger present. However, the black haired man would prove to them that their security was needlessly placed. Moving through the shadows, he continued to survey the area, wondering how large he would have to make that to deal with everybody he needed to.
Keeping note of people that looked important, either by their outfit, their articles of jewelry, or mannerisms; Megumi knew that every single detail was important. Like a scientist dissecting a frog, that was the role he played at the moment. He couldn't step out of the shadows, considering how notorious he was amongst the Blood Hounds. Amongst the Siracusan Mafiosi, the Ten Shadows user wasn't too sure about them.
But with what he was about to resort to, he was sure the famiglia Ch'en talked about in Siracusa might bear witness to his name.
Finding a secretive spot in an empty room that had been vacated by the residents moving to the main attraction, Megumi plopped right out from underneath the shadows. Swiping his shoulder, the black haired man turned around and stared at the woman who had decided to follow him here.
"What are you doing here?" Megumi took in the sight of Arturia sitting at an empty seat, instrument case right beside her. It baffled him how this woman was able to make it in this room without being detected, considering how she didn't have any stealth abilities like him.
"I told you I would bear witness to your performance, did I not?" Arturia gave a small smile, one that would radiate smugness to anybody who looked at it. "So pardon my presence, it would be unsightly for somebody to bother another's show."
"If you don't play your instrument, then I won't attack you," Megumi decided not to delve upon the matter any further and fixed his outfit, making himself look as presentable as possible. The haori Sukuna wore was as usual, black in color, one that symbolizes death and power in most interpretations. "Though, with what I do next, I can't guarantee your safety."
"Worried about me?" The Sankta tilted her head with an amused smile, "my, and I believed you to be as cold-hearted as my cousin is."
"To be frank," Megumi pulled on his collar, getting the rest of his haori and white gi in place. "Having you injured here would be a political crisis for Lungmen. Then again, this is a den of criminals, so the blame could just be shifted to these people if anything happens to you." Disinterestedly, Megumi clicked his thumb and index finger nail against each other, getting the dirt out of them.
At most, he was tolerating her presence.
"I'll keep a safe distance, then," Arturia stood up from her seat, bringing her cello with her, "though I do wonder, would this gathering of wolves accept black sheeps such as us?" She placed her index finger on her lower lip, a thoughtful look making itself known.
"Doesn't matter," Megumi moved towards the door, setting his hand on the handle, "they won't need to accept anything," with what he was about to do to them.
"I understand," Arturia nodded to herself, "though, where else will you have to go after abandoning Lungmen? Leithanien always has its doors open." The woman gave a small smile towards the man.
"I'll make the decision on my own," Megumi twisted the door knob, letting the light form outside enter the room. In fact, he had already decided to move north right after leaving Lungmen.
...Hopefully he would just be forgotten by everybody. That way, he wouldn't need to face the world anymore.
Somebody like him didn't belong to Terra anyways.
***
"Reminds you of home, doesn't it, Frank?" The Boss swirled his cup of wine, staring at the musical instruments on stage playing a tune of Siracusa. "All of these people gathered here to enjoy a show."
"It really does," Frank crossed his arms and leaned back on his chair, "with how everything is going, the LGD won't be able to do much with our growing numbers." Despite the failure of getting his Oripathy treatment from Rhine Lab, there was also another attempt after they gained enough power.
"And we'll only receive more today," the Boss slightly leaned back on his chair to fully embrace the music pervading the area. "It doesn't matter if we're sent here as cannon fodder for Siracusa, we'll grow large enough to show them how wrong they were."
The blaring lights eventually shifted to softer ones, the musical instruments halting in what they were playing with a gentle flow. Soon enough, the people packed on stage stood up, before making way for a person to step atop. It was a Lupo man, dressed dashingly, and the main host for the events taking place.
The audience filled with Lupos turned upwards to register the man. The place where everybody sat was vast, filled to the brim with highly decorated ivory tables and chairs, with a large assortment of food plastered about. With the arrival of the man on the stage, so did the silence of their activities cease.
"Hello!" They held a microphone with a confident expression, one filled with both greed and opportunity. "I must say, to have all you folks gathered in this singular place is a surprise, but we all share one common goal, do we not?" The man spoke with a suave tone. "That is why I believe this is an opportunity for all of us-!"
-Abruptly, just as he began his speech, something interrupted his words with a deafening sound. A singular black puddle formed behind him, a vicious sound of something being pulled out of the liquid was heard.
"Huh? What's this-?" The host turned around to register the sound that had cut off his speech, but they were far too slow and weak to defend against what happened next.
CLEAVE
A figure releasing a monstrous aura stepped out with a swipe of their arm, black markings present on their face with bleeding red pupils that registered everything before them... as nothing but trash. Domineering in all the senses that the audience could tell, all the while the splash of blood from the host's body made every single resident go on high alert.
With the sound two body parts dropping, the top half of the host's head, and the rest of their body; the sound of multiple blades being drawn could be heard. Fancy rapiers immediately left their sheathes with precise movements, telling of how many people in the audience were truly trained to handle a matter such as this.
The Boss of the Blood Hounds narrowed his eyes, reaching into his coat for a firearm he always kept on his person. This sort of thing wasn't planned to happen, and with the person on the stage, he could recognize exactly who they were.
Despite the small army Fushiguro Megumi was facing down from the stage, not a single hint of fear made itself known. Before them, he was the King of Curses, the Strongest Sorcerer any of them could ever bear witness to in their lives. With the force of a mountain of corpses, he casually moved the microphone closer to his mouth.
"Let me be clear with all of you," Megumi was slightly nervous despite the unperturbed air he was giving off, but holding himself with the utmost confidence and self-esteem was crucial. "All of you will die here, and none of you will be remembered even in the rotten sewers of Lungmen," with those words, he tossed the microphone to the side, letting the violent sound of a screeching distortion echo.
.
.
.
.
.
Despite the small silence that followed after, Megumi watched on as an all-encompassing and deafening sound was heard, with the sight of multiple steel blades firing off towards him. Like standing at the epicenter of chaos itself, the black haired man knew that there was only one option present for him.
Letting his focus reach a peak, a sense of nirvana overtook every fiber of his being. Taking in a deep breath with his nose, Megumi felt all tension leave every inch of his muscles.
Refine it, ponder it, and form what you could truly imagine your soul would be like. Once it has been created, force it upon the world, and impose your will as a painter would to their canvas. Just as paint provided substance upon a canvas, so would Cursed Energy provide substance for the Supreme Technique of Jujutsu Sorcery.
The world slowed down to a halt before Megumi, before a smile forced its way upon his face, the flash of inspiration having already been ingrained to him upon spiritual level. His arms spread outwards, as if welcoming all of the shining silver to pierce his body. The sight of multiple well-dressed and masked wolves were present, but it didn't matter to him anymore.
Swiftly bringing his hands together in front of his face, his fingers interlocked, providing a cover for his mouth. Only his crimson eyes could be seen, and very small parts of his black markings lacing his face. With only a single phrase, would Fushiguro Megumi lay waste to the threat in front of him.
"DOMAIN EXPANSION: CHIMERA SHADOW GARDEN."