By the time I reached them, the sight that greeted me made my steps falter for just a fraction of a second.
Masamichi Yaga was on the ground.
There was blood—too much of it—spreading beneath him, and a deep wound carved across his chest that made it painfully obvious how the fight had gone, while standing over him was the old man whose name I couldn't recall even now, his posture steady, his expression unreadable as he looked down at the man he had just defeated.
"…Damn it," I muttered under my breath, already moving again.
Did I take too long to handle Kamo? I definitely didn't do it as fast as I could have if only I had opened my domain, but again, with the increased cost of my domain, I can't nonchalantly open my domain like before on a whim.
A single domain expansion could cost nearly around 40% of my reserves, meaning I would be on my knees if I open two back to back and literally faint if I add a bit more consumption on top of that.
'Damn it, I have to find a way to improve my reserves soon.'
Gakuganji noticed me immediately, his body shifting into a defensive stance as I approached, clearly expecting me to attack him head-on, but I did not even slow down, because my focus was entirely elsewhere as I ran straight past him and dropped to my knees beside Yaga.
"Don't move," I said quickly, my voice sharper than I intended as I sat down near him while looking over to the old man for any sneak attack on his part.
However, to his credit, the man didn't attack us while I was assisting Yaga's condition. Now that I think about it, he couldn't have killed Yaga given how long the wound had been there, but he didn't. At least not immediately.
So, why?
Was he asked to take Yaga back alive, or did he have something which Yaga had? I wondered to myself.
Yaga's eyes flickered toward me, pain evident but still conscious, still aware, and despite his condition, he managed to speak.
"Yami… run," he said, his voice strained but firm. "You can still—"
"Just shut up for a second," I cut him off, more harshly than I meant to, but couldn't help it. I had only done this once on another, Megumi to be specific, and wasn't certain how well it would work on an open wound like Yaga's.
Before he could say anything else, I placed my hand over the wound on his chest.
For a brief moment, nothing happened, to his confusion. He even thought for a second that the boy was trying to stop his bleeding.
But then—
A white energy slowly manifested into my hand.
Warmth spread from my palm as the familiar yet still somewhat unnatural flow of Reverse Cursed Technique surged outward, knitting flesh, closing wounds, repairing what had been broken as the bleeding slowed and then the wound started to mend, albeit at a very slow rate.
And my guess was correct to assume that my reverse cursed energy output when used on others was abysmal, not to mention it took too much cursed energy to be performed for a very long time.
However, that didn't mean that it wasn't enough to make both of the old men freeze in their place.
I could feel it.
The shift in the air, the sudden stillness that came not from surprise, but recognition.
"…What?" Gakuganji muttered, his voice low, almost disbelieving.
Yaga's eyes too widened slightly as he looked at me. "Since when… can you do that?"
I kept my focus on the healing, making sure the damage was properly repaired before answering, because rushing this would only make things worse.
"Shibuya," I replied simply. "Figured it out when I was about to die."
More like being burned alive by fire and lava while Raga had my bones turned into powder just minutes before.
I can't help but snort at the ridiculously censored variation of the answer I gave them.
There was a pause.
"…And you didn't think to mention it?" Yaga asked, his tone somewhere between incredulous and tired.
I shrugged lightly, even as I continued channeling the technique. "Didn't feel like showing all my cards," I said. "I mean, you guys are good and all, and you did heal me, but I know you for what, less than a week. I at least rather keep something to myself just in case, you know."
"Don't tell Shoko, if you don't wish to slave your life away healing others like her." Yaga, for the first time, actually laughed. An amused chuckle it was more likely, but still this was the first time I saw him smiling.
He let out a quiet breath, something between a sigh and a short laugh, though the pain still lingered in his expression.
"…I doubt Maki would let her, she is quite taken with her new punching bag, you see," I let out an amused chuckle of my own.
Within moments, the worst of the damage was gone, the wound closed, though I knew he would still need rest before he was anywhere near full strength again, and as I pulled my hand back, I finally allowed myself to look up.
Gakuganji was still there, still watching me and the rapidly closing wound on Yaga's chest in disbelief.
'Tsk… why is he still here!' I grumbled, but I knew that nothing less than a fight was going to end this matter now.
The problem wasn't over. It never is.
I rose to my feet slowly, placing myself between Yaga and the old man as my gaze hardened.
"This ends here," I said, my voice steady now. "There's no reason to keep going. Give in, old man, use your retirement days in peace at least."
Gakuganji's grip tightened slightly, but his stance did not change. "I have my orders," he replied. "And I will see them through."
Sigh…
"…Yeah, yeah," I said, exhaling slowly. "Figured you'd say that."
Why are these old man archetypes so stubborn in anime worlds?
For a moment, neither of us moved. Just sizing each other up.
Then I brought my hands together.
The motion was instinctive now, familiar, the shape forming without hesitation as cursed energy began to gather, dense and heavy, pressing outward as the very space around us seemed to react.
I saw it.
The flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"I didn't kill Kamo, say it as an act or mercy or just me expecting him to come around to see reason, however, I shall not share that courtesy with you. If you plan to follow your orders, then let me tell you this, I will kill you." I stated, fully planning to go through with it.
Unlike Kamo, I had no qualms killing this old man, since it was these old foggies why the jujutsu society was so rotten from within.
And even when I can't remember his name, I do remember that he was the one who tried to kill Yuji in the Kyoto Sister Exchange event.
So, no problem killing someone like him.
"Don't—" I heard Yaga calling out from behind me in a weak tone, but I ignored him. I wasn't backing down on this part.
"…A domain?" Gakuganji said quietly, his eyes already revealing his shock at learning that I could use a domain.
I didn't answer, there was no need to. Everyone, even those who have never experienced a domain themselves, in jujutsu society know what a domain is and how it starts.
"Domain—"
"Yaga!"
The shout cut through the moment I was about to expand my domain.
Footsteps followed, fast and heavy, and before anything could happen, a large figure rushed into the scene.
"Panda."
He skidded to a halt beside us, his eyes immediately going to Yaga, scanning him for injuries, and the visible relief that washed over him when he saw the man alive was impossible to miss.
"…You're okay," Panda said, his voice softer now, almost shaky despite his size.
"I'm fine," Yaga replied, pushing himself up slightly. "Yami here healed me."
Panda turned toward me then, his expression shifting into something more serious, more grateful.
"Yami," he said, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you. Really."
I waved it off with a small motion of my hand. "Don't mention it," I replied. "Just got here in time."
Then I looked back at Gakuganji.
Something had changed in the old man in this short exchange, though.
He was no longer in a fighting stance.
His shoulders had lowered slightly, his posture less rigid, and the tension that had been there moments ago seemed to have… eased.
"…What?" I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly. "You done?"
There was a brief silence before he answered.
"Yes."
The word was simple.
Direct, too direct. At least explain yourself, why the change in heart suddenly?
"…That's it?" I said, frowning. "You're just giving up?"
He met my gaze calmly. "I was not aware you possessed a domain expansion," he said. "That changes the situation significantly."
I did not lower my guard.
"And?"
"And," he continued, "I am not foolish enough to engage in a fight I cannot win."
His eyes shifted briefly toward Panda, then toward Yaga, who was now steadily recovering behind me.
"Facing you alone would already be difficult," he admitted. "Facing all three of you would be… death."
"And dying is not unacceptable, but it has to be for a reason. You don't get to live as long as I have in this line of work if you're not sure when to cut your losses and retreat." He said with a plain tone.
That was way too nonchalant for someone who was trying to kill us a second ago.
I exhaled slowly anyways, the tension in my shoulders easing just slightly, though I did not fully relax.
"So that's it," I said. "You walk away?"
"For now," he replied.
There was no apology in his voice.
No regret.
Just cold, calculated acceptance.
"…a sane opponent, guess there is a first for everything, huh!" I muttered internally.
The domain signs in my hands loosened, the energy dissipating as I lowered them, though I made sure he saw that I had been ready to use it.
Just in case.
And as the old man turned around and walked away with a lonely walk, I turned back to both Panda and Yaga again.
"Come on, we better get going before I give in to my temptation and go back and rip the throat of every single one of those old foggies in the Jujutsu Council." I grumbled.
xXx
A/N : Tell me, should he have killed those old foggies ? I wanted to but I decided not to change anything for the time being, since I'm uncertain how that would change the story. Perhaps later ?
Would appreciate stones if you can spare any. Thank you.
If you want to read up to 10+ Chapters in advance, check my Patreon on
Patreon.com/Kamidemond