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The Dark Continent by Xxylo7
Hunter X Hunter & Jujutsu Kaisen Xover Rated: M, English, Adventure & Suspense, Killua Z., Megumi F., Sukuna R., Gojo S., Words: 42k+, Favs: 282, Follows: 344, Published: Feb 14, 2024 Updated: Aug 13, 2024
42Chapter five: Two Souls
Chapter five: Two Souls
"Eh?"
Killua lowers his clenched fist, raising his gaze to somewhat hesitantly meet the principals' wonderstruck expression. Seeing the man's disbelieving face however, wipes away his concern and instead It makes him smirk a bit. The man looks completely ridiculous. Although, the smirk slowly falls as Killua turns to face Gojo.
Gojo's face is rendered completely blank, if Killua didn't know any better, he would assume the man had no feelings in particular towards his confession, or he hadn't even heard it at all. However, considering how many times Killua has already seen the man draw back into his own thoughts in contemplation, he knows that probably isn't the case.
No, Gojo's mind is most likely working at a mile a minute, trying to reform his little plan around this new tidbit of information. Perhaps he was reconsidering his decision to let Killua live, perhaps he was reconsidering going through with his scheme, perhaps he didn't believe him… Perhaps he didn't care at all.
Killua looks away from the man, down towards the floorboards, and he blinks as the tiny, blue cursed corpse waddles up to him to stare up at him with a toothy, wide smile. It doesn't attack however, and Killua feels himself settle slightly at that, although his awareness of those around him is still extremely heightened. He may not be able to escape Gojo, but he sure as hell could still try if it became necessary.
"Before you found me, my life was very different. Before I ran away from home, I was a… a bounty hunter of sorts, you could say, all because my family decided I would be." Killua looks back up and away from the tiny creature, briefly meeting the firm expression of the principal, and then Gojo's unemotional countenance.
Seeing that neither were making a move to attack, or speak, Killua continues, careful with what he chooses to reveal. He feels like he's tiptoeing along a live wire, one wrong shuffle away from blowing a fuse. "I ran away because I don't want to live that life anymore. I want to be better than that, I want to do better than that. I want to become the type of person who helps more than harms. I-"
Killua grits his teeth, fists unclenching as he stares at his palm. There only remains small, nearly nonexistent flakes from where his nails had pierced the flesh. Where, for a moment, he considered whether he had finally lost sight of himself.
Thinking of his sister's smiling face, of the type of person he wishes to become for her, the type of person he hopes maybe she can become one day, too, Killua knows his decision. He realizes he had already made his decision, way back when, the day he finally said 'enough' and left the mountain to become a Hunter. He drops his hand back to his side.
Killua meets the principal's eyes once more, his conviction, his heart, is a steady stream, unrelenting against the current. "I want to become a jujutsu sorcerer. Not because Gojo said so, not because I don't have any other option, but because I want to be better. I want to be the type of person that can be relied on. I want to become stronger so I'll never have to go back to my family, to my old way of life. I'm tired of killing. I just want to live."
A wave of silence filters through the shrine room, it's almost tangible. The candle light flickers. Killua doesn't even realize he's holding his breath until the principal, Yaga something, suddenly regards him with a serious, ruminative expression.
Killua forces himself to stay still as the man abruptly steps off the little platform he had been standing on and approaches. Just when he tenses to jump away, the man simply raises his hand out, as if offering a handshake.
To Killua's utmost surprise, the principal smiles a bit, and it's far too warm of an expression. So much so, for a split second, Killua considers the fact the man hadn't even heard him correctly either, but the principal's next words wipe away that theory.
"I can't help but admire your conviction, Killua, even if I may not fully understand it. What I can understand however, is the face of determination. It appears I was wrong. Perhaps… You do have what it takes to become a sorcerer, after all. I won't stop you from trying to achieve this dream of your's Killua, I can only hope you'll come to be able to rely on me some day to see that it gets achieved."
Wary of previous, handshaking encounters, Killua spares a glance towards the unmoving, unreactive Gojo before he turns back to suspiciously regard the principal's outstretched palm.
Despite Killua's obvious reluctance, the man doesn't drop his hand, holding it out with a patient expression, an unexpected bridge of hope.
"Welcome to Jujutsu High, Killua. You've passed the test." The principal finally concedes, and a part of Killua suddenly hopes, too. Hopes that this isn't all just some elaborate scheme, that the man really means the words he's saying, that he really does want to help Killua achieve his dream, too. "I look forward to seeing what kind of sorcerer you become."
Unable to help feeling a bit inspired by the man's words, Killua decides to take a gamble and he reaches out his hand, and instead of disappointment, when he clasps the principal's hand in a firm grasp, all he can feel is that bridge of hope.
Whenever Killua finds his way back to his sister again, when he finds his way back to his own continent, when he finally meets back up with Gon, maybe, just maybe, he'll be the type of man he dreams of. The type of person Killua can be proud of. The type of person worthy enough to stand by your side, Gon.
Maybe, just maybe, becoming a jujutsu sorcerer will help him achieve this dream of his, will help him learn to wield The Hate in his heart, rather than to fear it, to run from it.
"Satoru." The principal calls out neutrally as they drop their handshake. Killua turns slightly to follow the man's line of sight traveling over his shoulder, where he witnesses Gojo lift his head up slightly, a simple, distracted acknowledgement. "I'll leave the rest to you."
"Ah." Killua watches suspiciously as the corner of Gojo's lips tilt upwards, looking far more like a reluctant grimace rather than a smile. The angle of his head gives off the impression he's looking down directly at Killua's face, but with the stupid blindfold it's a little hard to tell. "Let's get going then Killua, yeah? I'll show you the dorms."
"Sure." Killua shrugs, stuffing his hands into his short's pockets as he sends one more glance towards the principal. The man had already turned his back to them however, a clear dismissal as he bends over to pick up the lime green, grinning cursed doll and begins poking at the white stuffing sticking out of the creature in some spots.
"Am I going to get in trouble for the doors?" Killua can't help but ask as they exit the shrine, looking away from the circle of damage he had caused.
The sun has completely set by the time they return to the outdoor courtyard, however the lights of the surrounding buildings of the school illuminates the path well enough. Splinters of wood chips scatter across the ground, petals of his destruction. Killua absently kicks some away with the tip of his sneaker.
Gojo snorts with humor, sending Killua a quick, easy grin and Killua can't help but regard him skeptically, as the man seems to revert back to his previous, chipper mood. "Nah. Besides, the look on Yaga's face when you did that- priceless!"
Well that at least solves one problem, it's not like Killua exactly has a way to pay for the damages anyway. Nobody he has met here has recognized his Jenny. This truly was a separate continent, and while homesickness would be a bad way to word it, he can't help but miss the way things used to be. It's tedious as hell to learn all these new things, not to mention the fact that because of the language barrier he's as good as illiterate in this place.
While the language they speak sounds the same, somehow, he hasn't seen hide nor hair of any Hunter characters. For example, Gojo relaying that he couldn't understand the 'gibberish' on his Hunter's license.
Gon would probably find all this culture intriguing, but Killua honestly couldn't give a damn. Thankfully, he's been able to manage well enough so far, although the ladies at Taikyoku had picked up on the fact that he couldn't read pretty quickly after Yuna-san offered him a book and he had frozen up on the spot like a complete amateur. I wonder how they're holding out…
"A thousand more, huh?" Gojo comments mildly, and it's his phrasing that slightly startles Killua, rather than the sudden inquisition. Killua had been thinking the same thing for hours himself, after all.
"Yeah." Killua agrees, and can only feel his decision embolden the longer he thinks about it. A Thousand More.
Killua shrugs deftly, finally grinning a bit himself as he glances towards the appraising man. "Should be easy enough."
Gojo smiles then too, and it's once again far too genuine for Killua's preference, but he'll take a smile over a fight. A losing battle, more like. He doesn't know the full extent of Gojo's abilities but Killua can understand when he's outmatched at the very least. It's a vital skill for any assassin to have, to be able to assess one's target and understand the difference in skill. The difference between him and Gojo, Killua knows, is simply… Catastrophic.
I wonder… Killua ponders, and can't help but suddenly feel curious at the thought, can't help but suddenly feel a bit daunted. Would Gojo be able to defeat the Phantom Troupe? Would he have been able to defeat Meruem? Netero-san?
Would he have been able to defeat… Gon?
Flashes of Gon's dilapidated state flash by in Killua's mind, the aftermath, Gon's Everything, a nightmare come to life. The sheer toll his best friend had paid to access the amount of power he did that day to avenge Kite, to slaughter Neferpitou. How, if it hadn't been for Nanika, Gon would've…
Killua shoves these memories down as quickly as he can, instead reminding himself to think of Gon's smiling face. It doesn't matter, at least it shouldn't anymore. Nanika did heal him, and Gon is alive and well, off becoming a beast Hunter, his location unknown. Gon never did end up telling Killua where his destination was, and Killua would be lying to say the curiosity wasn't eating at him.
Before they can re-enter what seems to be the school's main building, Gojo stops Killua with a raised palm and a serious countenance.
A bit wary, Killua stops nonetheless to hear the sorcerer out. Gojo purses his lips thin, expression contrite for one reason or another. "While you may be strong, Killua, fighting against curses to save others is why few sorcerers do what they do. Why they choose to risk their lives to exorcize curses. I wish all sorcerers had reasons as noble as that, however that is simply not the case."
"Is my reason not noble enough for you, Gojo?" Killua inquires, looking up at the man through his bangs. His expression reveals nothing, leveled onto the sorcerer. He couldn't really care less if Gojo didn't find his goal to be noble or whatever, it was his own decision, his own path. The type of Hunter Killua wanted to be.
"On the contrary, I think you have the potential to become something great." Gojo surprises him with this confession, Killua's eyes widen as the man lowers his raised palm and shoves his hand back into his pocket. "Maybe even greater than I was at your age. However, I cannot let you go into this completely blind. Do you remember what principal Yaga said, about curse users?"
"Yeah." Killua remembers the odd comparison the principal had given him, moreso Gojo's visceral reaction to it, although it confuses him. "I don't get it, aren't all sorcerers curse users, since you all use curse energy do you not?"
Yaga had literally used cursed dolls of his own creation in Killua's test, if that was not using curses, then what was?
"Technically, yes, but that is not how we use the term. Curse users is the title given to jujutsu sorcerers who use their cursed abilities for, let's just say, untoward purposes." Gojo's head tilts, appearing to glance at Killua sidelong. "Like murder."
"Ah, I see." Killua squints up at the man, at his unwavering expression, seemingly not pulled one way or the other as he presumably stares back down at Killua. "So what am I then? Am I a sorcerer or a curse user?"
Gojo's lips purse, seeming to contemplate his answer before answering, vaguely. "I honestly don't know at this point, Killua. I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?"
"And what happens if it turns out I am a curse user?" Killua can't help but ask, a bit wary where this status might leave him. He doesn't regret telling them that part of his past, but he does regret not thinking a little more about it beforehand. He has to keep reminding himself how fundamentally different the culture on this continent is compared to his own. How fundamentally different Gojo Satoru is.
Gojo merely stares at him however, before smiling once more, though it's significantly more unreadable than any of his previous grins. "Let's just hope we never have to find out, ne? C'mon, enough of this downer talk, it's getting late."
It's a short walk back towards the room Killua woke up in, they travel past it and a little ways down to an adjacent hall. Around a bend of a corner, they hardly take a few steps before Gojo proudly gestures towards one of the many doors lined down the hall in a row, opening it up to gesture Killua inside.
"Tada!" Gojo cheers, waving his hands out with flourish and a beam on his face. "Cool, right?"
Killua looks around the bland room without interest, tilting his head slightly to peer around the practically barren space from the doorway. A single bed without anything on it sits in the corner of the room next to a wide window, there's an empty desk across from the foot of it and a plain, wooden dresser sitting to the left of the door.
"Sooooo," Gojo tilts precariously to his side, face hanging down in front of Killua as the man scoots into his personal space. "What do you think?"
Killua rolls his eyes, taking a step back to make some room between them and shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly. "Sure. It's alright."
Unperturbed by his less than enthusiastic reply, Gojo straightens up, clapping his hands together with satisfaction.
"Perfect!" The man crows out something, and Killua squints at the unfamiliar language. That might become troublesome in the future, if Gojo continues to speak in different languages than him…
"You can customize it however you want, of course. We can go back to Taikyoku to pick up your things, but let's leave that for tomorrow. I don't know about you Killua, but all the excitement today has got me beat!" Gojo laughs heartily to himself as he heads towards the door, stepping around Killua so he could walk back out into the hall.
Killua blankly watches the man's retreat, turning so his back is never fully facing towards the sorcerer. "Get some sleep Killua, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning for your Orientation Day! Woohoo!"
"Oh!" Gojo backtracks, leaning back to look through the open doorway again. His grin transforms into something far more cheeky, and it immediately irritates Killua to the core. "I almost forgot. My room is right next to yours on the left by the way, so don't be shy to come knocking if you miss me, kay?"
Killua glares at the empty doorway as Gojo finally departs, whistling some unknown tune that fades the farther the man gets. Killua turns to stare at the wall connecting his room to Gojo's, displeased. Of course it is. He spares one more, uninterested glance around the bland room before stepping back out into the hallway.
Killua looks right, the direction Gojo had skipped off in only to see an empty hall, and he sees much the same when he looks to the left. Activating Gyo, he scans the hallway again but is unable to catch anything other than the dispelling, faint smell of Gojo's cologne.
Killua severely doubts the man had actually fully left, he was probably still watching him somewhere, probably with his cursed technique, or something. Killua can feel that pressure still, instinctively, the awareness of somebody's gaze crawling up the back of his neck like an insect.
Closing his eyes, Killua takes in a calm, steady breath. This is just a setback. Besides, if this can help Alluka…
It's worth it.
It's dark.
Killua breathes in, and then out. The door to his new room is closed, the lights turned off as he sits cross legged on the mattress of the bed. His eyes remain closed, and yet he can still see with startling clarity, even in this darkness. Even in this abyss.
It's dark.
The soul is a glowing essence, a ball of energy that resides in every human's core. His lifeforce, the source of his nen. It provides the only light in this black void.
But there is something different this time, in Killua's core, when he closes his eyes and looks within. Hovering right next to his soul in similar shape nestles an offshoot, an unavoidable black mass even in this endless abyss.
This darkness…
The part he's known that's always been there, is a tangible thing now. The part that stares right back when he looks at it-
The hate.
Killua focuses on that offshoot, on that tangible form in his core, on The Hate. It feels…
Dark. It's dark.
It feels… It feels remarkably like the aura surrounding curses. Cursed energy. That's what this is, isn't it? So why am I only just noticing it now…?
Killua's lips purse with his frustration. His hand grips at the fabric of his shirt directly over his heart. Directly over where the foreign energy seems to reside, the manifestation of his sins.
The only explanation he can come up with at the moment is that it's similar to unlocking one's ability to do nen. Killua was able to access his nen because Wing-sensei initiated him, or 'Baptised' him, and Gon, at Heaven's Arena. It's because of this initiation that Killua was then able to sense and manipulate his nen when previously, he hadn't even known of its existence…
Is that what happened, then? Killua recalls a vision of two fingers crossed, as if making a wish. How, before that moment, he had never wanted to kill someone so much. More importantly, what started all of that in the first place…
Gojo suddenly drops one of his hands out, as if offering for Killua to shake on it as he smirks, a bit coy. He wiggles his fingers pointedly when Killua only stares. "Well, what are we waiting around here for, then? Do we have a deal?"
Is that what happened then? Did Gojo baptize him, was it really so much alike to nen in that regard? If that were true, if it really were the case where you could only see curses and manipulate cursed energy by baptism, why hadn't Wing-sensei told them anything? Was there some sort of test he and Gon had yet to pass, to be 'worthy' enough to unlock this part of themselves?
Perhaps, he never intended on us finding out. Flashes of Gon's dilapidated state flash by in Killua's mind, the aftermath, Gon's Everything. Killua grits his teeth, closed eyes squeezing shut tighter as he tries to dissuade the memories from bubbling up any further. Before the grief can simmer in his chest and squeeze.
Maybe… Wing-sensei hoped we never would.
However, there is still something he's missing, something crucial. When Wing-sensei baptized him and Gon, every micropyle on their bodies had been awakened, the pores in the body that release aura. That must mean that cursed energy has a separate system entirely in the human body, otherwise he and Gon would have unlocked their cursed energy the moment they were baptized, right? What am I missing?
Gojo said that the source of cursed energy is negative emotions. Killua could draw parallels between the use of cursed energy, and using Ren with hostility, however something fundamental seems… wrong about that comparison.
What's undeniably clear to Killua is that Gojo is right, he really is clueless. And as frustrating as that is to admit to himself, he does need guidance to figure this curse stuff out. To truly understand the negative force twirling with his very soul, as if two bodies now reside inside himself.
Because when Killua looks within-
It's dark. But even in this endless abyss-
He sees himself staring right back.
"Hey, idiot. The brat may have forgiven you because he doesn't understand what really happened back there, but I won't."
Satoru watches the white, shifting energy shroud around Killua from through the walls, an aura so pious it feels wrong for him to even call it cursed energy. For someone with so much hate, to produce something so…
Satoru ignores Shoko's unimpressed glare burning into the side of his face as the woman comes to stand beside him. She must have been waiting a while now for the opportunity to corner him.
Satoru smiles slightly, distracted. "I know."
There's no need to worry Shoko. I probably won't forgive myself, either.
For the longest time Satoru had thought that he alone was the chosen one, however, having met his son, having met Killua, the scales feel like they are slowly tipping on him. The food chain is shifting fundamentally. Nature seems to be… unbalanced.
And Satoru, Satoru, well, a part of him can't help but feel… relieved.
There is just something about Killua, he cannot deny, that is hard to look away from. To have so much hate inside yourself, and yet…
And yet, I've never seen anything quite as pure.
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The Dark Continent by Xxylo7
Hunter X Hunter & Jujutsu Kaisen Xover Rated: M, English, Adventure & Suspense, Killua Z., Megumi F., Sukuna R., Gojo S., Words: 42k+, Favs: 282, Follows: 344, Published: Feb 14, 2024 Updated: Aug 13, 2024
42Chapter six: Special Grade
Chapter six: Special Grade
Gon.
You… Are light.
For the longest time, Killua never truly understood what it meant to be in the light.
The pitch darkness in the shadow of his family took up every corner in his view, death followed him at his every turn, an eternal trade and in return, he swallowed the hate and kept it close. For the longest time, the hate was all he knew, it was his closest ally, the only friend he was allowed.
It wasn't until Killua took the Hunter's exam, it wasn't until Gon that he realized that where there is darkness, there is the dying of the light.
Gon… Sometimes, you shine so brightly, I have to look away.
It took meeting Gon, his best friend, his rock, a beam of salvation in this sea of darkness for Killua to realize a lot of things. That there was more to him than the absence of the light, that one day, maybe even Killua could provide some shelter one day, maybe even a person like him could provide the light instead of taking it away. Instead of watching it drain out of his target's eyes.
But even so, is it still okay if I stay by your side?
It wasn't even a choice, there was simply no other option. Killua would have paid any price demanded to preserve that light, to save Gon, even if it would have been greater than any other price he has ever paid before. Killua did it willingly, without hesitation, without remorse. He simply asked. He asked Nanika to save his best friend- to stop the dying of the light.
Maybe, one day, I'll be worthy enough to stand by your side…
Maybe, one day, we'll see each other again. Maybe, one day, I'll see the light again. I'll see you, Gon.
Killua would have paid any price it took to save Gon's life, to heal the absolute devastation that was left behind after Gon traded it all, his Everything, to kill Neferpitou. The aftermath was simply unacceptable, Gon lost sight of the light and darkness consumed his heart until there was nothing left but ash.
Gon's heart, Killua realized, was something he could not afford to lose. Gon's smile, Gon's joy, Gon's… Gon. He would have traded his life to save that smile, that joy- to save Gon.
How brightly do you shine now Gon, I wonder, without my shadow looming by your side?
Killua knows now that where there is darkness, there is the dying of the light. How long will it take without Gon's light to guide him, he wonders, until there is nothing left of him but the depths of his Hate?
"Killlllluuuaaaaaa-chan!" Gojo drags out his delighted exclamation, throwing open his bedroom door with complete disregard. "The sun is shining on this wonderful morning, the birds are singing, can't you hear them, Killua? Isn't it so beautiful, isn't it? Huh? Huh?"
Killua stares at the boisterous man with disinterest, sighing as he swings his legs over the side of the mattress and stands up. He didn't sleep at all last night, obviously, as if he could trust any of these jokers. Though it did give him some time to meditate, to appraise the curse withering in with his soul, threatening to barge out and bite at the nearest hand.
Killua lazily regards the man with waning patience, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Are you always this loud?"
Gojo merely smiles, crossing his arms as he leans against the doorway. He's wearing a familiar pair of round sunglasses, exactly alike to the ones Killua saw when he first met the sorcerer. "Are you always this boring? C'mon, lighten up, it's a brand new day and you're still alive! Now, are you ready to go? Are you ready to find out just what your amazing papa get's up to all day?"
"Go where?" Killua raises an eyebrow, but the man only keeps smiling, leaning away from his place at the doorway until he disappears around the bend.
With a roll of his eyes Killua follows Gojo's retreat out of his room. Maybe he really was finally going to learn more about curses, and cursed energy. Hopefully enough to cut this little adventure short, that and the masquerading around, pretending to go along with this idiot's idea that they're somehow related. This guy's attitude was seriously starting to get on his nerves.
"We will eventually get to introduce you around, get you sorted out with your new uniform, and such and such, all in good time. However, today…" Gojo abruptly pivots to face Killua. The grin on his face is wild as the man flashes his hands out at his sides and releases bunches of confetti into the air. "Bada-da-da! You have your first official mission!"
Killua watches the colorful paper wilt to the floor, blank faced. First mission already, huh?
Gojo huffs, blowing up his bangs and shaking loose a piece of confetti that had landed on his hair, clearly disappointed in Killua's lackluster response.
The rising sun peeks through the windows in the hallway, chasing away the shadows on the floorboards the higher it rises in the sky. Despite how early it is, the heat of summer is already present, the cicadas humming nonsensically outside.
Gojo clears his throat before smirking and straightening up, seemingly moving on quickly from the fact that he had just made a complete fool out of himself. "It's finally time to get serious, Killua. Are you ready?"
This is you being serious? Killua slowly raises an eyebrow. "I guess."
"That's the spirit!" Gojo hums, spinning to continue his trek down the hallway. "It's common for newbies like yourself to go on team missions, I thought I would have some time to show you the ropes today but seeing as something just came up I will unfortunately be busy, but don't worry, I have the perfect person in mind! I think you're really going to like him."
Killua frowns.
Fushiguro Megumi knows just as well as everybody else that the only thing granted equally to all is an unfair reality.
A warm breeze drifts by, a single bird soars across the blue sky.
Megumi stares, and stares, and then stares a little more at the miniature Gojo standing next to Gojo-sensei. He struggles to make sense of the words being spoken to him, even though they are quite straight forward.
"Huh?"
Gojo-sensei grins widely, a stark contrast to the emotionless expression pasted onto the face of the little boy standing next to him. "Megumi-chan, this is my son, Killua-chan. He'll be joining you today on your assignment. Please take good care of him for me, ne?"
"Huh?" Megumi repeats once again, struggling to come to terms with the reality before him, but he is given no illuminating answers as Gojo-sensei merely gives them both a thumbs up and vanishes into thin air.
Megumi blinks at the now empty space, before stiffly turning his attention towards the kid. He looks down at the boy, and the boy looks back at him, just as blankly.
That was five minutes ago. While Megumi no longer feels like he's completely floundering, he still can't quite comprehend what the hell just happened. Not to mention why Gojo-sensei thinks it's a good idea to have this kid- his kid- brought along on the mission, assumed grade-three or not.
Though, it is hard to deny the truth in front of him. The white hair, those blue eyes… There are no such features outside of the Gojo clan, more specifically, nobody other than Gojo-sensei. The resemblance is simply uncanny…
Megumi glances at Killua from the corner of his eye as they continue to walk down the pathway towards the road, scanning over the kid's bored expression and lax posture. The fact that this kid's cursed energy feels completely weird. I don't know anything about this kid. I can't tell if he's overly confident or completely clueless, either way, he's going to be a liability…
Megumi feels like sighing. He feels a little like throttling his exuberant teacher. Leave it to Gojo-sensei to be the worst parent in existence.
Megumi understands that the only thing granted equally is an unfair reality. However, having Gojo Satoru as a father figure, would be an unnecessarily cruel reality for anyone to have to live through. Megumi would know, after all.
"Killua… Have you ever exorcised a curse spirit before?" Megumi can't help but ask curiously, unable to catch a crack in Killua's expression. It's been caught between a bored, thinly veiled curiosity since he's met the kid.
Killua… Just where the hell have you been this whole time?
Killua scratches behind his ear, his other hand in his pocket. "Ah, I guess."
Killua would be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued. Whatever a 'mission' for a jujutsu sorcerer entails, he has no idea, probably something to do with exorcizing curses, if he were to hedge a guess. The true intent behind this mission, however, is what keeps him on high alert. It could very well just be another one of their 'tests' to see whether he was 'worthy' enough or not to be a sorcerer, or some other bullshit.
At Megumi's confused eyebrow rise, Killua glances at the boy before looking forward again. He can see the car Megumi mentioned that would take them to the location of where the curse was spotted apparently. The sweaty valet is waiting for them beside the sleek, expensive looking vehicle, looking at his phone.
Killua shrugs. "I just didn't know they were curses at the time."
He glances around the area as they reach the end of the path, the gravel and dirt trading for the smooth road of what looks to be a normal residential block. They had walked for a few minutes to get out of the borders of the school grounds.
Megumi tilts his head slightly in confusion. "What?"
"It doesn't matter," Killua replies a bit too quickly while avoiding meeting his eyes, not exactly wanting to be made fun of by this Megumi kid for calling them monsters, too. "If you're worried about me getting in your way, don't."
Megumi gives him a completely unimpressed look, raising an eyebrow doubtfully as he stares down at him.
"You're cocky." Megumi's face looks like he can taste the sudden reluctance in his tone, and Killua huffs at it. Not that it matters what this kid thinks, Killua is used to people underestimating him. It only makes it more enjoyable to prove them wrong in the end.
Killua grins a bit mischievously to himself, before looking back and giving the middle schooler an innocent, wide-eyed expression. "Well, as long as I have you to protect me I don't have to worry about anything, right, Megumi-kun?"
That makes Megumi blink a bit dumbly at him, caught off guard. Previously narrowed eyes widen as his pace slows on the path to slightly lag behind Killua, apparently rendered speechless.
It's almost too easy. Idiot. Killua looks away from the sight with a little snicker and stops walking too, standing just a few feet away from the nervous looking man standing beside the sleek vehicle. Megumi's aloof, if not chagrined behavior as of yet, somewhat reminds him of how Kurapika can get, when pushed to his last patience. It's pretty amusing teasing the middle-schooler, when he thinks about it like that. Killua has lost count the amount of times he and Gon have put that dumb look on Kurapika and Leorio's faces, too.
Their transport looks like an expensive, black luxury car. It's unsurprisingly not a brand Killua can recognize from back home, like all the other products on this damn continent. The windows on the car are tinted so dark Killua can see his own image in their reflection and he sticks his tongue out at himself.
"Ijichi-san?" Megumi says from behind him and Killua looks up, towards the man he presumes the kid is addressing.
The man's gaunt face is stretched into a look of abstract horror, his mouth dropped open so wide his thin, square glasses are almost falling off of his nose. Killua raises an eyebrow at the look, glancing towards Megumi only to find that he's blank faced, almost looking annoyed at the valet.
"You- you- you- you-" Killua blinks as he turns to look back at Ijichi, a little bemused by the man's fearful stuttering and the almost accusing, shaking finger being pointed in his direction. "But- but- but- Go- Go- Go- GOJO?!"
Killua stills and looks at the man vacantly. Is this what he has to look forward to? Constantly being compared to that Gojo idiot? He feels like sighing, or shouting at someone. How lame.
Megumi does actually sigh, seemingly taking some pity on the pathetic sight of the trembling man before them.
"Ijichi-san, this is Killua…" Megumi glances at him out of the corner of his eye, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, the uniform remarkably alike to the one Gojo and the principal had been wearing. "Gojo-sensei's son."
Ijichi's face grows ten shades paler. "So- so- so- so- so- SON?!"
"Is he alright?" Killua questions, turning towards Megumi with some annoyance. "He's twitching all over the place."
"He's fine." Megumi easily dismisses as he moves around the car to get in on the other side. "Are we okay to get going now, Ijichi-san?"
"Hu- Huh? Oh." The man jolts, "Oh! Of- Of course, Fushiguro-kun…" Ijichi warily looks at Killua, who merely stares back with a raised eyebrow, before the man practically lurches forward to open the backseat door for him. Killua blinks. "After- After you, Gojo-san!"
"Okay…" Killua squints at the man rather suspiciously, before shrugging at the strange behavior and getting into the car. Jujutsu sorcerer's are just a bunch of odd-balls, apparently. "Thanks."
Ijichi squeaks, closing the door crisply before racing to get into the driver's seat, sweat thick on his brow. Killua turns towards Megumi for an explanation, but the kid only looks faintly amused, if not exasperated by the valet's stuttering.
Whatever. Killua rests his elbow on the door of the car, placing his chin in his hand as the car starts up and pulls away from the side of the road. He pointedly ignores the sweaty valet's persistent, almost terrified glances towards him in the rear view mirror. I don't even care.
Killua rubs at his chest, the point over where his heart rests. Cursed energy coils against his soul, its malicious thorns seem to dig deeper the more time stretches on.
It doesn't matter.
A flock of birds flutters by in the clear sky, before disappearing behind the brush of a large tree.
"This should be it." Ijichi adjusts his glasses with his thumb and forefinger, apparently unable to help constantly glancing towards Killua as he approaches their side of the parked car. "Where the third-grade spirit was reportedly sighted."
A wide forest is spread out before the road they had pulled over on, a series of townhouses are rowed on the other side of the street, a simple chain link fence is the only barrier between them and the dense tree's. There must be a park nearby or something, there's the faint sound of childish laughter brought over on the wind.
Third-grade? Killua considers the term, staring up at the height of the thick trees. What is that supposed to even mean? Some kind of power level?
The leaves are lush, bright green under the glare of the summer heat. He looks towards Megumi, and isn't surprised to find the kid already looking down at him. "What?"
"What grade are you anyway?" Megumi questions through pursed lips, hands shoved in his pockets, but Killua can see how tense the kid actually was, the forced casualness in his posture. The guarded look in his eyes.
It had been a quiet car ride, less than half an hour of silence and during the entire length, Killua had watched with muted curiosity through the reflection in the window as Megumi got stiffer and stiffer the longer they drove.
"Me?" Killua repeats, for really no reason but to stall. Honestly, he is a bit curious what that means but he decides to shrug, not entirely wanting to admit his cluelessness on the subject. The longer he spent around Sorcerer's, the less he trusted any of them. "Does it matter?"
Megumi looks at him blankly, measuring him in another lengthy glance before sighing and turning his attention towards Ijichi. "I guess we better get going, then."
"R-Right." Ijichi startles, dragging away his bug-eyed stare from Killua to look at the forest. It was as if he was worried Killua was about to jump out and bite him. He considers the merit of pretending to do just that, and decides to leave it. If the guy started crying or something, that would be annoying as hell.
Ijichi pushes up his glasses once more, swallowing. "I'll put up the veil then. Please, be careful, you two."
Veil? Killua perks up slightly at the odd phrasing, meeting Ijichi's slanted gaze this time, and for the first time the man seems to have calmed himself. Ijichi nods at him, countenance stern as he raises two fingers in a pose next to his shoulder, and then he begins to speak.
"Emerge from darkness…"
Killua looks at the man with growing suspicion, glancing towards Megumi only to find the kid looking completely unreactive towards the man's actions. Just what is he doing…?
"Blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure."
The once clear blue sky becomes spotted, a puddle-like form of what feels like cursed energy pools high above the forest in a strange, warbling mass.
Killua's eyes widen and he can't help but take a slight step back as his gaze snaps up to look at the sky. This feeling…
This pool of malignant energy wobbles and forms outwards like the ripples of slow moving water, spilling outwards to form an almost dome shape that begins to fall over the nearby vicinity. A cursed shadow is being draped over the edges of the forest, and Killua watches it form with narrowed eyes.
It feels like that barrier, the one that Killua sensed around Jujutsu High. He hadn't even noticed the change in the air until he stepped outside of it. He remembers the strange feeling it left on his nen as he and Megumi walked outside of the school grounds, like a release of curse energy shrouding over his person. It felt faint enough to dismiss then, now, however, he's beginning to regret that judgment.
Every step he takes forward, he feels as though he takes two more back. There are so many unknown's, Killua isn't sure where to even start in gathering intel, what could be useful, or what is just nonsense. What is going to help him get home, to get back to Alluka, and what is possibly holding him back from just that. Damn. This is getting irritating.
"Let's go." Megumi breaks him out of his thoughts, walking towards the dark wall of the barrier without a care. Killua stares as Megumi easily walks through it, the cursed form of the barrier slipping around his body until he appears on the other side of it, his reflection warbled as if looking through a smudged, dark purple lens.
After a moment of hesitation, Killua follows him. He blinks at the feeling as he walks into the veil, the curse energy leeching off his person as he steps all the way through. Weird. Looking behind himself, Killua can see the distilled form of Ijichi on the other side of the veil, looking like a puddle of ink was smeared over his image.
Killua follows Megumi as the kid kicks off the ground, one of his hands grabbing the top bar of the fence to help him jump over. Killua easily hops over the distance himself, his hands didn't even have to leave his pockets. He glances left, and then right, frowning. He can't really sense anything out of the ordinary about this place, other than the overall awareness of the barrier draped over them. What's that supposed to do anyway? We walked through it like nothing both times.
Between the shrubs low on the ground, scattered dead leaves and tall grass cover the forest floor, the tall trees are thick and compact to one another, crawling with ivy and old moss. The space looks overgrown, like nature's taken back its rightful place in this small area of Tokyo.
"It'll probably be farther in, I can't sense anything here." Megumi mutters, shoving a fir branch out of his face and ducking under another as he begins to walk into the brush without further preamble. Killua follows him, his footsteps a dead silence compared to Megumi's. The boy clearly didn't know anything about stealth, or maybe that was on purpose, trying to lure out the curse. Most likely, it was a merge of both reasons.
Killua stares at Megumi's back thoughtfully, at his tense shoulders and swerving head as the kid looks around this way and that for any sign of a curse. He's probably one of the few, if Killua is to believe what Gojo said, students at Jujutsu High, which is a bit interesting considering the kid couldn't be older than a middle-schooler. Either way, Killua would take Megumi's quiet, no-nonsense attitude over that Gojo clown any day.
"Ne, Megumi, how many curses have you dealt with before?" Killua jumps over a root perching out of the ground, casually scanning the area.
Spare, purple-tinted sunlight seeps in through the treetops, casting pebble-like light shadows against the forest floor. The sounds of laughter have long since dispersed, leaving them with only the sound of the wind and Megumi's footsteps, the crunch of leaves under his feet and a snapping twig, here and there.
Megumi doesn't spare him a glance, pace quick and purposeful as he walks deeper and deeper into the forest. "I've lost count."
"Hm." Considering what Killua has seen of Tokyo, Japan, lingering in the red light district for a week, he can see how that can happen. Especially considering the amount of curses he easily crushed under his sneaker alone, with the barest amount of energy put forward-
That's when he feels it.
"Wait." Megumi freezes, pace halting abruptly either because of his words or his tone. "Don't move." Killua repeats, face concentrated. His foot slides on the dirt, without so much as a sound.
"What?" Megumi murmurs, tense. The curse energy inside his body rises, as if pulled by a trigger at a low simmer, the slow ooze of intent leaking through the cracks. He slowly cranes his head to look over his shoulder at Killua, face pinched.
Killua closes his eyes and focuses. Listen. He inhales a breath and holds it. His heart rate slows, the blood in his veins trickles at a crawl. Focus.
A breeze drifts through the forest, he can hear the rustle of it flowing through the trees. The bleating of a cicada bug. Not far off, a squirrel lifts its head, and scurries down a branch. There's a bird in the near distance, plucking at the structure of its nest.
Killua can hear the fall of the leaves, the sway of the grass rubbing against itself, the huff of Megumi's bated breath- There!
The tremor shakes the ground again, a rumble of something distant, something big. Near imperceptible. It travels through the land, like the aftershocks of a push of a wave.
Killua opens his eyes, smirking. "Found you."
Megumi looks around the area warily- not having felt what Killua did, clearly- before turning to face him, appearing slightly annoyed, slightly on edge. Whether he doubts him or not, he still seems to afford Killua the benefit of the doubt. "Where?"
"Further in. North." Killua shrugs, shuffling his foot back to his side, thumbing one of his yoyo's in his pocket. "Sounds big." He continues, offhandedly.
"Tch." Megumi clenches his jaw, turning towards the north. His hands curl at his sides and Killua watches with some amusement as the boy looks at him sternly, jerking his head in the direction of the curse before he takes off in a run. "Let's go, Killua!"
He's eager. Killua huffs, following after Megumi at a much more leisure pace. This mission does prose an interesting asset though, for the first time he'll be able to see a sorcerer exorcize a curse. He's curious to see if Megumi will use any curse energy, or just simple brute force, like Killua has been since he first arrived on this continent.
They weave and duck between thick tree stumps, under branches and over fallen logs, at the pace Megumi was running, it did not take him long to stumble upon the curse. He bursts through into a clearing, leaves parting for him and revealing the empty space, there, chewing over a rotted animal carcass, is the curse.
Killua crouches behind a shrub as he reaches the perimeter of the clearing, concealing his presence with Zetsu while frowning.
Megumi narrows his eyes, giving the area a fast sweep but all he can see is the curse and returns his attention back onto it. Something big, huh?
The curse isn't that much taller than him, somewhat round around the gut. Green and speckled like a toad, strange, black, horn-like ridges run down the length of its back, as if its spine were poking through.
Megumi frowns, brow furrowing as he remembers Killua's warning. He readies his stance, hands raising to form the Divine Dogs sign. Was he just messing with me?
He feels out for Killua's curse energy, poignant in a way similar to Gojo's sensei's because of his teacher's Infinity. It was as if the kid had a persistent barrier enveloped around himself of some sort, too, however different the traces of such felt in comparison. Something to think about, another time. For now…
Megumi's eyes widen, and he only just manages to hold himself back from turning to look behind himself, revealing his back towards the enemy.
What? Killua, he… vanished? Megumi grits his teeth, glaring his frustration towards the unaware curse, still happily ripping apart its latest meal. He couldn't have been defeated already, no, the curse is right here… He must be playing games. Tch.
Nevermind that for now… Megumi adjusts his thumb, the form completing. For now… "Divine Dogs!"
I'll take care of it myself!
A howl cries through the air, the shadows of the trees pool at his will, amassing behind him and forming the white dog. He drops his hand pose as the dog fully forms, lowering his one hand to his side to pat the white dog's head as its tail begins to wag.
The gangly curse lifts its fat head from being lowered over the mess of blood and gore, turning its neck at a completely odd angle to look back at them with two wide, unseeing pupil-less eyes. It still chews on its prey, wide mouth smacking open and closed languidly, blood and chips of bone paint its front a bloody tale of wildlife eaten during its reign. Hopefully. Hopefully, it had only managed to snag forest critters, and nothing human.
Summons? Now that's interesting. Just how diverse is curse energy? If Killua didn't know any better, he would think Megumi was conjuring the wolf like how Kurapika conjured his chains. Maybe even using a specialization technique, that or they were some sort of nen-beast, but instead of it being imbued with nen, it was constructed entirely with cursed energy…
Killua's eyes are a bit wide at the revelation, though he still remains in his place hidden in the shrubbery. The white dog lowers itself as it takes notice of the curse, growling, despite having the presence of a curse itself.
The green curse tilts its head this way and that, bits of flesh plopping out of its gaping mouth to slap against the ground and Killua frowns. Something that small, it wouldn't have been able to produce such a massive vibration through the earth. No way.
Megumi runs left, while white dog runs right. They both converge on either side of the spirit in tandem, Megumi with an outstretched fist and white dog with its open jaws. The curse tilts its head abnormally to the other side, as if intrigued.
Before either of their strikes can land, the curse vanishes. Megumi's eyes widen. No, it didn't vanish. He looks up, feeling his heart skip in his chest, a weighted thud. It jumped!
The curse soars above them, its legs, previously hidden from its crouch over its meal, appear bent at the calf; they look remarkably like the legs of a frog. Its head nearly brushes an overhanging branch, before it begins it's decent.
Megumi grits his teeth, just managing to side step out of the way before he and white dog can crash into each other. White dog's claws scrape as it slides, using its hind legs to spin back towards the direction of the curse with a snarl.
Before it lands, that's when I need to strike. Megumi lifts his hands, shifting his fingers to form the snake sign. This should be easy. He plants his footing, shouting. "Great Serpent!"
There it is again. Killua purses his lips, lowering himself even further to place a hand to the ground. His fingers brace against the dirt, spreading until his palm is completely flat. Vibrations tremor up his nerves, stronger than before, enough to feel it in his bones. It's getting closer. I can feel you.
Shadows flow out of the woods, melting together like bubbling, boiling ink as it stitches together. It forms a circle pool on the ground just behind Megumi and out bursts forth a massive white serpent. With unparalleled speed, the snake slithers forward up into the air, the maw of its mouth snapping open as it aims for the curse still falling from its leap into the air.
Come out. Killua stares off in the direction of the rumbling, his body completely still. Curse aura, stronger than he's felt during his time in Tokyo, Japan, other than Gojo Satoru, is growing, pulsating the closer it gets. Brimming with what Gojo had lacked, and with what Killua has found himself in abundance of. Has cultivated since a young age. Pure, malevolent intent. Come out.
Thud.
I can feel you.
Thud.
Come out.
Thud. Thud. Thud Thud ThudThudThudTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUD-
Everything goes quiet. There is no wind, no cracking of twigs underfoot, no cicada hum, dead, permeating silence.
"There you are." Killua mutters, disgusted.
Megumi stares, frozen in place.
A drop of blood drips, sliding down before dropping off the edge. It falls and falls until it lands with a splat on Megumi's cheek. His eyes crack open wide, mouth falling slightly open.
The green curse tilts its head in the opposite direction, suspended in mid air. Great Serpent's jaws clench around the gut of the curse, a reflex movement. Purple and red blood mesh, dripping down towards the earth, a cursed rain. Together, they are connected, made one by the spire suddenly stabbing through both of them.
The thick, brown javelin shutters as two, similar looking shapes are revealed in the clearing, piercing down and stabbing into the ground like poles of a tall structure with heavy thuds. Megumi looks up and, for a brief moment, all he knows is fear.
The giant curse looms over them all, it's long, stilt like legs fanning out around itself like a flower's petals. Pincers clench and close over a mouth of rowed, sharp teeth, multiple, beady eyes glare down, and down at them from its grandeur height. Undoubtedly, the shape of a massive, curse spider hovers, as if momentarily perplexed by the scene it's stumbled upon.
It must be strong, at least stronger than the other curses I've come across so far. Killua brushes his thumb against his lips, considerate as he watches Megumi shake himself out of his shock. The newfound tremor in the kids hands is something to note, and he refocuses his attention fully towards the lumbering, spider curse, curious to see what Megumi will do.
No way… Megumi grits his teeth, forcing himself to move, move, move, to do something other than standing in place, petrified, as the curse spider stabs its long leg further into the green curse and Great Serpent. The snake's wide tail thrashes as the spire pushes further through its upper and lower jaw, and Megumi strikes out then on instinct, placing his one hand on the serpent's side to disperse it before it can be completely destroyed.
This curse, Megumi leaps back a decent amount, his back brushing the growth lining the clearing and white dog follows his example, landing at his side quietly, seeming to sense the turn in the tide as well. Without the Great Serpent's large body to awkwardly hold it up, the spider's leg crashes down towards the earth and lands with a resounding boom.
Feebly, the green, frog-legged curse attempts to jump again, only for it to slide further down where it's been pierced through the stomach, like Yakitori on a skewer.
This curse is no doubt, Megumi swallows, fingers twitching to form another hand sign. Sweat trails down the back of his neck. Without a doubt, at least a grade-one- or worse- it could possibly even be an unregistered special grade.
This isn't the first time he's come across such a case, not even close, but each of those incidents he had had Gojo-sensei by his side, the man laughing like a real creep as he languidly took care of the problem. Something so easily handled by the strongest, that the man wouldn't even finish exorcizing the curses before suggesting they pick up some Kikufuku on their way home.
With no time for respite, Megumi feels the air in his lungs go stagnant as several, dark beady eyes suddenly catch onto his person. Before he can so much as form the final sign for Nue, the curse spider had already moved.
A feather floats towards the forest ground as a blue bird squawks, taking abrupt flight from its perch.
Megumi doesn't have time to run, to even flinch before the curse spider slams one of its eight legs into his gut. He hurdles back at breakneck speed, unable to stop the intense momentum as his back slams into and completely tears through the first tree.
The wind is kicked out of him, he gags at the overwhelming pressure in his chest and doesn't even feel the second, third, or fourth tree until his body comes to an abrupt, world-spinning impact on the fifth. He hears a crack, a groan of the large oak as the trunk splinters, or maybe that was just him, maybe he broke something, or two.
Copper tastes thick in his throat, it bubbles over and drips from between his teeth as he slumps. He can hardly see through the sudden double vision, the forest tips and teeters to the side like he's starboard on a ship in the midst of a raging storm. For a moment, he can't breath, he can't hear, he can't think.
Unable to support his own weight, he slides to the side until he lands on the ground in a useless heap. Blood pours out of the wound on the crown of his head, warm and in the way, as it dribbles into his eyes and down the side of his face.
"Damn it!" The words rip violently from Megumi's throat as soon as he manages to catch a ragged breath, desperate, squinting eyes swirling as he tries to lift his head from the dirt to look up. He can hardly think, let alone stand at this point, despite how much he wills his body to move. Damn it. Move. Move. "Damn it, damn it!"
"Hey, relax, Megumi." Megumi's eyes widen in disbelief, gaze snapping up to meet Killua's in an instant as he appears at his side. Whe.. Where the hell… did he come from?
Killua crouches in front of the boy's downed form, looking away from the distant point within the thick of the woods where the giant spider's cursed energy still looms, and towards Megumi instead. He may not know Megumi very well, but that doesn't mean Killua was just going to leave him here to die, after all, he's supposed to save a thousand more, right?
And, maybe he feels a little bad for sitting back and watching while the curse beat the crap out of him. In his defense, how the hell was Killua supposed to know it could move so quickly, and swing with that much power? It's definitely stronger than the others. This might actually become a challenge, if I'm not too careful.
"I'll protect you with my life, so don't worry." Killua promises confidently and smirks at Megumi's incredulous expression, tapping the tip of his finger between the middle-schooler's pinching brows. Megumi's shock seemingly renders him so frozen he doesn't even flinch at the touch. "Idiot."
Killua stands from his crouch and spins on his heel. The frown works its way back onto his face, and with a final, lazy wave over his shoulder he starts off towards the curse to get rid of it himself.
"KILLUA!" Megumi yells once he shakes himself out of his stunned stupor, desperately reaching out a trembling hand towards the kid's retreating back but Killua doesn't stop running farther and farther away, doesn't so much as glance back at him. "Moron, don't-"
It's not until Killua completely vanishes in the brush that the terror fully hits Megumi.
"I'll protect you with my life," The Image is almost too familiar to a certain, nonsensical sensei, too familiar to Gojo Satoru, to make sense of. An over-confident smirk, reassurances given in a blase, almost entertained tone. It's horrifying, it's reassuring, it's the last thing Megumi ever wanted to hear at this moment. "So don't worry."
Don't worry? What a childish thing to say. Killua's too young voice rings in his ears, an excruciatingly young echo. Too young, far, far too young. "Idiot."
Idiot. Idiot? How am I the one being an idiot right now? Don't worry. Don't worry?
"Well, as long as I have you to protect me I don't have to worry about anything, right, Megumi-kun?"
"KILLUA!" His frantic shout goes completely ignored. There is only the near silent wisp of the wind in the trees, and it feels entirely mocking, entirely too quiet. Megumi slams his fist down weakly into the dirt, over and over again as he curses out to the unresponsive forest around him.
"Right, Megumi-kun?"
Damn it… Megumi grits his teeth, feeling, and loathing, loathing his consciousness as it begins to fade and slip between his fingers. Damn it… Damn it all to hell…
There is an image in Killua's mind, of two fingers crossing, as if making a wish. Gojo Satoru's irritating, flippant personality is brought to his attention once more. Tch. What the hell is that guy's problem?
Killua's frown deepens, annoyed as he leisurely jogs back through the forest, ducking under a low hanging branch. He continues towards the source of the curse's aura, leaching out into the air and brushing up against his nen in tentative waves of foul energy, as if looking for a fight. Does Gojo even give a damn about this kid?
How any of those numb-skulls expected a kid like Megumi to be able to handle curses like that, is beyond him. It's no wonder that the casualty rate of the school is so damn high, he's more surprised there's anybody left at this point, really.
Killua conceals his presence as he nears the site of the curse spider, stalking around the entrance to the clearing, considering his next move.
The curse spider seems to have grinded away at the other curse beneath its large, stick-like foot, stomping away carelessly at the smaller, green curse, rendering it to threads of shapeless, purple guts and flabby, cursed flesh. The white dog Megumi summoned is nowhere to be found, it had probably been kicked off just as easily as the boy had been, or dispelled at the very least.
Not wanting to drag this out any longer than it already has been, Killua allows the nen in his core to build, beginning to transmute electricity over his body. His hair begins to rise, static crackles in the air, ready to zap out and fry at an instant. It's now, or never, I guess.
Killua slides out into the clearing, behind the massive beast of a curse and out of its line of sight. Steam is beginning to rise from the other, deceased curse turned to mush. His right arm extends out quickly as he jumps into the air, the yoyo sat in the palm of his hand flings out too fast for the natural, human eye to follow.
The cord stretches out wide to compensate for the large berth of the spider, and with a tug of his grip it bends to the left, wrapping around the front of its form in a swift hook. At the same time, he releases the yoyo in his left grip, flinging it out in the left direction, before turning it sharply to the right. Anticipating a strong resistance, Killua pushes Shu into his hands in case the pull back is too strong, adding more and more weight into the yoyo's themselves. With a rise of both his forearms, the yoyo's come full circle and smack into his awaiting palms once more, like a conductor directing the final, dramatic note in the orchestra.
And then he yanks.
The loose cords constrict and pull in tight in a sinch, wrapped around the spider's legs, Killua immediately transmutes his lightning down the length of his yoyo's. Volts travel at the speed of light and ignite the spider, like a candlewick catching fire. The curse releases a creepy, screeching howl as its entire frame glows blue, the lightning shooting in every direction, it sinks inside, worms its way to the base of the heart, and fries.
The smell is thick, steam in the air, putrid and burnt, and Killua continues to drag the cords towards himself as he jumps back a few steps. The legs are slowly being forced to close in under the beast's belly, made even easier as the curse is taken off guard from the overwhelming strike of lightning. He's sure that if he wasn't blasting the thing with the power he sucked up from the Tokyo streets yesterday, the curse would have resisted much more successfully against the tying of its feet.
As it is, Killua's feet plant heavily against the dirt, digging in until the tip of his sneaker was hidden in the earth and anchor him. The curse's legs are all almost touching together now from the strain, feral shrieks echo into the air, the sound of enraged pain filters throughout the forest. It twitches robustly, attempting futility to move, or break its towering legs free but it only succeeds in tripping itself up and tipping to the side.
With a grand crash, the curse slams into the ground, taking a couple of trees down with its descent, the forest floor cracks and rumbles in the aftershock. Using the fall to his advantage, Killua drops his yoyos and allows godspeed to shroud around him. He activates his claws and in a burst of speed, crosses the distance of the clearing in less than a second.
Purple, stinking blood spurts up into the air in a shower, fanning out in the nearby area in a sudden onslaught of gory rain. There's a muted thump as the spider's severed head lands onto the ground and rolls, only coming to a stop as it knocks into a nearby tree's trunk and bounces back slightly, before settling.
Killua waits a moment, before glancing over his shoulder, face blank. He allows his lightning to trickle out and fade into a barely noticeable hum under his skin when the curse's corpse doesn't so much as twitch, the spiking of his nen lowering into its normal state of Ten. His claws retract. The cursed energy in his chest rages to be set free. That was easier than he thought it would be, it was kind of disappointing.
"Impressive."
Killua pauses at the musing voice and looks up, and up, and up. Finally revealing yourself, huh? He had been wondering for a while now if the presence he sensed was going to make themselves known, or if he was going to have to hunt them out for himself.
Killua narrows his eyes as he finally catches sight of the person who had spoken, his posture relaxed, although still on guard. "Who're you?"
Near the peak of the large tree sat only a few meters away, the man tilts his head, chin resting on the curl of his knuckles. His smile is soft as he stares down at Killua.
"A friend."
Notes:
Thank you everyone for all the comments, support and patience. I hope you continue to enjoy this as much as I am.
I may not be the strongest, but I'll try my best to not disappoint.
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The Dark Continent by Xxylo7
Hunter X Hunter & Jujutsu Kaisen Xover Rated: M, English, Adventure & Suspense, Killua Z., Megumi F., Sukuna R., Gojo S., Words: 42k+, Favs: 282, Follows: 344, Published: Feb 14, 2024 Updated: Aug 13, 2024
42Chapter seven: Curse User
Chapter seven: Curse User
After…
"Twenty-four hours." Nanami says through grit teeth, just barely containing the high emotions bubbling beneath the surface of his composure.
It all started off rather innocuously enough, just another day on the job. Satoru poking and bothering him to come along on an odd, yet intriguing tip given by a window who had just visited a brothel.
The window reported a sighting of a young kid loitering around that supposedly looked a lot like Gojo Satoru. All blue eyed and white haired, with a strange cursed presence that was impossible to ignore.
It was ridiculous enough to draw Satoru's interest and Nanami's as well, however reluctantly on the latter's part. Though in Nanami's professional opinion, he figures the oaf only wanted him to come along on the trip to hand the responsibility off to him when the lead turned out to be what they both ultimately suspected it to, a bad ruse.
The moment Nanami caught sight of the boy and his frightfully sinister cursed energy, however, he knew then in that instant that they had both been wrong. Very, very wrong.
It was simply unmistakable, undeniable at first glance. Having witnessed photos of a young Satoru himself, Nanami was struck dumb and he knew he wasn't alone.
Then the kid finally spoke and he knew for a fact that nothing would ever be the same again. Satoru only laughed, the moron, but Nanami knew the man could feel it too.
Like a switch had been flipped, their lives were suddenly turned on its head, just like that.
Jujutsu society, Nanami feared, would undoubtedly feel the ripples too, it was only a matter of when. Unrelenting and unpredictable, the inevitable, unstoppable wall of a tsunami is about to crash over the world in the form of a less than impressed child. Trepidation felt like the new normal these days. Abandon all hope.
Nanami stands stiffly before the couch Satoru is lounging on, his temper holding on by a steadily fraying thread. He glares down at the man with growing ferocity, tense, displeased, worried. Very, very worried. "It took you less than twenty-four hours to lose your son."
Satoru merely continues to stare at the ceiling in silence, fingers toying with the edge of his black mask, pulling the fabric up and letting it snap back against his face. Again, and again, he messes with the piece of cloth, seemingly astray in his thoughts with his head tilted skyward. Like he doesn't have a care in the world, like his son wasn't currently missing and one of his students wasn't bedridden, rendered unconscious due to the extent of his injuries. Typical.
"I know where he is." Satoru eventually reveals. His face is tactfully devoid of any emotion, but what surprises Nanami the most is the man's serious, completely pissed off tone. It's a rare enough commodity to make Nanami pause and reconsider his earlier assumptions. Perhaps Satoru has already gotten more attached to Killua than he realized. Typical.
"...You better go get him then."
"Hm. I guess I could." Satoru ponders out loud rather flippantly all of a sudden, his demeanor shifting to something much more nonchalant as he twirls a finger absently in the air. Nanami's eyebrow violently twitches. "I mean, stray cats usually manage to find their own way back home eventually, right?"
"I'm going to kill you."
"Sensitive."
Before…
"I don't have any friends." Killua immediately refutes. None on this continent, at least.
"Oh?" The man's warm, disarming smile slips, as if taken by surprise, as if he really gives a damn.
The stranger straightens out from his slouched position, his hand drops from casually resting against his cheek to land in his lap. His face shifts to support a subtly pitiful expression, looking the picture of the concerned samaritan as he frowns down at Killua. It's the carefully constructed mechanisms of a man who thinks he's successfully manipulating someone. "That must be really lonely."
Killua looks on at the man, unimpressed.
What's this guy playing at? Not only was he shitty at subtly, but he clearly felt confident enough to still linger around after watching Killua dismantle the cursed spider. Maybe he was just stupid. Maybe he was just as curious about Killua as the other sorcerer's on this continent seem to be. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Killua is getting a little sick of sorcerers and their mind games.
"Not really." Killua responds honestly. He wasn't lonely. Not anymore. Not like when he was younger. Killua shrugs his shoulders, hands tucked into his pockets as he looks absently to the side of the clearing, as if he were merely being side-tracked by the strange man sitting on a tree branch, attentively watching him.
Killua recalls Gojo's warning, something to reconsider the validity of now, given the current circumstance. "There are a lot of people out there who are going to want to see you dead or worse, all because you unfortunately look a lotta like me."
This could… actually work in his favor. The most pertinent thing Killua needs to be doing above all else right now is gathering as much information that he can, from whoever he can, about curses and cursed energy. Anything to find his way off this damn continent. Anything to help him find his sister again.
Anything to understand this feeling, this… Thing inside of him. This hate. This curse.
The shadow of the veil enveloped around the area gives off a naturally sinister aura, cursed energy hovers in the atmosphere, miasmic and wrong. Killua can feel it drifting closer and closer towards the gaping maw inside his own chest, magnetic towards him in a certain way that he can steadily feel the state of his mood dropping lower, and lower towards the chasm.
His gaze slants back towards the man. "Did you need something, or do you normally just hang around in trees, like a creep?"
The sorcerer huffs, whether it's genuine amusement or not doesn't really matter, Killua will kill him either way if the man is going to force his hand. He'll save a thousand more and he'll probably do it with a smirk on his face, sure, but if it comes down to it, Killua will always choose himself over them.
Some of the man's long, dark hair slips over his shoulder as he shuffles his legs to hang over the edge of the wide tree branch that he's sitting on, swinging his sandaled feet a bit childishly for a moment. He tilts his head to look down his nose at Killua, the amused smile growing on his angled face until the sorcerer seems to can't help but let out a hearty laugh.
"Ah, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to follow you at first, it's just, you remind me a lot of someone." Emotion curves the stranger's eyes, the entire expression is almost fond, but what really irks Killua is that it doesn't feel so fake anymore. He can't get a proper read on this guy. "You handled that curse very efficiently. I take it you're a jujutsu sorcerer, also?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"Hmm. Well, I've never heard of you before. There aren't many of us, so it's a little surprising is all. What's your name?"
Killua scans over the man's sudden appearance again, doubtful. "Killua."
"Killua." The sorcerer repeats as if testing out the name to remember it, smiling just a bit wider with satisfaction. "Well, it's nice to meet you Killua. My name is Suguru. Think you've heard of me before, any chance?"
"Nope." Killua scuffs his sneaker in the dirt in apparent boredom. This is either going to end in a fight or a murder, and Killua is not really sure which one he's rooting for more in his current resignation. "Am I supposed to recognize you or something?"
"Ah. I guess not. That's kind of depressing, actually," Suguru laughs a bit sheepishly, rubbing a hand on the back of his head in embarrassment and ruffling his hair. "See, I'm an old friend of your dad's I believe, we were in the same grade in school together, actually."
Killua squints up at him, unimpressed. "Really." He drags out his response, clearly only enduring the conversation and not caring about a single word of it.
There is a moment of silence between them before the man jumps down from the tree branch. He lands at the base of the tall tree in a squat with some amount of gracefulness before quickly standing and straightening out his robes. He clearly was no assassin, but he wasn't to be underestimated either.
Suguru crosses his arms, seemingly completely at ease with the situation. If the man notices Killua's own disinterest he doesn't comment on it.
"Say, Killua…" Suguru's smile is languid in its confidence as he breezily continues on. "Do you want to be friends?"
Killua narrows his eyes suspiciously, the distance between them now just a few feet in the forest clearing.
Purple casted shadows crawl along the forest floor, the corpses of the curses are starting to reek in the summer heat, their cursed blood seeping and rancid.
Maybe Killua is being overly paranoid. Maybe there is no battle to fight here. Maybe nobody has to die... Maybe, maybe, maybe.
"What's your deal?" Killua asks skeptically, although he can't help but be a little curious about the reason behind the sudden offer. Still, this guy was sketchy as hell. "Enough of the crap. What do you want?"
"Hear me out for a moment, one sorcerer to another," Suguru spreads his lowered hands out, the sleeves of his robe draping. He blinks innocently, looking down at Killua. "That's it."
"That's it?" Killua squints. Yeah, right.
"Well, I'd like to be friends, too. But I'll take what I can get for now." The sorcerer smiles serenely, chuckling. "So?"
"Fine. What?"
"Don't you ever get tired of it all, Killua?" Suguru asks conversationally, waving a lowered hand out in a gesture, as if to sweep towards the curse corpse slumped beside them in the clearing.
Flies and gnats buzz and hover around the mound of fleshy gore where the spider's head once was, oozing its wretched blood. Now more than ever with its insect-like attributes, Killua is reminded of the chimera ants. The vile cross-species, evolution at its worst climax.
"The repetitiveness of it all. Fight, exorcise, and repeat. Over and over. Again and again, and even then, after all the death, after all of the blood and tears, to only then have the very curse you just exorcised be replaced by a new one within the same minute..."
Suguru casually walks towards the corpses of the curses, dirt kicking up underneath his sandals in small clouds. The tall man tilts his head to peer down at it, expression as smooth as stone, unwavering in its subtle loathing.
"It's revolting."
Killua watches on carefully, face blank as he scrutinizes the sorcerer. It makes sense for sorcerers to despise curses, he supposes, natural enemies that they are. Before today, Killua had not seen a curse attack anyone, they mostly just lingered and groped like sleazy old men. Seeing the ruthlessness of the cursed spider against Megumi earlier, it's almost instinctual pounce on the young sorcerer, however, felt like a part of the puzzle slotting together.
Walking through the streets of the red light district, curses of all shapes and sizes peer at him from dark alleys and nooks and crannies. They inch out of the shadows at the sight of him, they lean precariously from their holds on none-the-wiser civilians as if he was beckoning them forward by his mere presence. Kindred souls. Likened spirits. Cursed.
At his silence, Suguru glances over at him. Killua raises an eyebrow, waiting for the man to get to the point.
As if he could tell what he was thinking, the sorcerer smiles a tad, looking a bit amused as he turns to face Killua again. "It appears I might be boring you. I apologize, I have a habit of rambling. Though I feel as though I have to ask, have you ever questioned the current state of the world, Killua? This world where us sorcerer's must act in secrecy in order to protect the order of commonplace society. Don't you ever get tired of it?"
When Killua only narrows his eyes, Suguru merely dampens his smile, trying, and failing, to curb his utter enthusiasm. The sorcerer seems unaware that his elation at speaking to Killua is completely obvious. If this man didn't know Gojo Satoru, for one reason or another, Killua would be shocked.
"You see Killua, there is this established paradox, saying the strong must accommodate the weak. But do you know what I think?" Suguru brandishes his arms outwards in a grand gesture, raising them up as if he were trying to praise the very sun. "I think it's about time mankind reconsidered its strategy for survival! The apex of all creation has halted its own path of evolution! It's nonsense!"
A breeze flutters through the air, sifts through the trees, a kiss of wind on their faces. For a moment all that can be heard is the crackle of distant wildlife in the forest, the faint buzzing of the bugs hovering over the curse's flesh and gore.
Killua tilts his head slightly, slowly, assessingly.
"Which is why I want to be your friend, Killua," Suguru slowly lowers his arms, palms still facing up and open as he smiles at Killua, bright and coaxing. And yet his eyes, his eyes are dark, unfathomable. Greedy. Killua is no stranger to receiving such a look. "I think we can help each other."
"That so?" Killua finally mutters. He can feel the anticipation thrumming underneath his skin, running along his alight nerves like a vein of blood, hot and itching. Electricity crackles at his heart, waiting to strike. Cursed energy simmers inside his chest, simmers and simmers, and burns… It feels hungry. A ravenous beast held back only by the heel of its master. All Killua would have to do is say eat and then…
"Just so." The sudden expression on Suguru's face is twitching, slow in its building reverence. He looks up at Killua from under his bangs, eyes lidded. "It seems I'm upsetting you."
Killua's eyes widen, surprised. Suguru smiles slightly at that. "You're very good at hiding your emotions, your cursed energy however…"
The sorcerer stares at Killua with unwavering wonder, voice touched with his awe, as if Killua was something special. "Is positively bloodthirsty."
"Sorry." Killua is not sorry. He is intrigued though. It's interesting that Suguru is able to notice his declining mood by his cursed energy. It's also concerning. He's not used to being read so easily, it's unsettling having such a tell. Such a blatant weakness.
"Don't be sorry. It's… Beautiful." Suguru breathes, eyes shining. The overzealousness of his words makes the man seem younger than he is, it's almost juvenile. Lost in himself, in the feelings Killua's cursed energy apparently arouses in the man, Suguru takes a step forward only to catch himself in an aborted movement, strangely swaying to and fro on the spot like he wasn't sure whether to approach or be still to appease the beast he is staring directly in the eyes.
Beautiful?
Suddenly someone else is staring down their nose at Killua. Long black hair sways in the breeze. A needle twirls between deft fingers. Isn't it wonderful? Isn't it beautiful, Kill?
Killua lowers his head, hand clutching at the fabric over his heart. His hate. The collection of his sins. The toll of thousands. The mark of death.
"It's a curse." He says darkly with certainty. I'm a curse. The last thing you see before you die. Miasmic, and wrong.
The darkness that contrasts the good, the shadow that trails behind the light. Killua can try, and try, but he'll never be good. Never as good as Gon. He'll never be able to clean his hands of the blood he's spilt. If there is a God, he revoked Killua from his blessing a long, long time ago.
"It's a total zenith." Suguru refutes strongly, conviction unwavering as his amazement. The sorcerer laughs brightly, wildly as he spreads his arms out again as if he is embracing Killua's killing intent. He's beginning to show his true face, the ugly and the reverent. "It's magnificent! You're remarkable, Killua! Impossible! Simply wonderful!"
"No." Killua denies, blunt and uncaring of the scene unfolding before him. He can find someone else to get information out of. "All I am is impatient. Tell me what you want or get lost."
Suguru only continues to laugh, tears pearling at the corners of his wide eyes, uncaring that his robust response was only making Killua more upset. If anything, that seems to spur the sorcerer on, Suguru's grin is full of teeth and feral in the face of his thrashing Ren.
"This is what was bound to happen in this wretched world! Retribution! A reckoning! Justice! Oh, how wonderfully poetic, Satoru!" Suguru cries out, tears falling down his face as he presses forward with fervor, crazed with his euphoria.
"It's beautiful! Godly! The Curse of The Strongest!"
Killua is going to kill him.
He surges forward, claws out like short blades. Killua will show him just how hideous he really is. There is nothing beautiful about the slide of his hand into a chest cavity, the weight of someone's heart in his hand, the balance between life and death decided by his will, and his will alone.
A curse rises up from the dirt in front of Suguru in a swish, massive as an ogre and Killua tears right through it without hesitation, cursed chunks rain down in the air as he dives forward unheeded.
Suguru laughs delightedly, grabbing onto the leg of what appears to be a massive pelican curse that leaps off of the ground and takes flight in one big beat of its four wings. Killua narrows his eyes, gritting his teeth as he slides to a stop. Where the hell did that come from?
"Until we meet again, Killua!"
Unable to follow, Killua huffs, anger surging inside of him as he can only watch the distance between them grow, Suguru's tinkling laughter fading off in the distance. The man even has the audacity to wave at him. Killua feels like shouting. He feels one wrong look away from snapping somebody's neck. Damn it! What the hell is wrong with me?
The veil dissolves upon the massive curse pelican's impact, the barrier slinking down and disappearing from the air like running mud-
I don't care…
Killua squeezes his eyes shut with a growl, his claws digging into the flesh of his palms like skewers. Darkness looms over the horizon like a promise, black and infernal, all consuming. The Curse of The Strongest. It swarms in a heavy cloud, thousands of carrion insects buzz in a hive, swirling around him in a grim shroud. Miasmic, and wrong.
If this is the end…
Gon. Killua chokes, drowning on dry land. Gon.
So…
No. No. Killua wants to beg but all he can manage is a guttural gasp, bloody hands grasping at his head and gripping into his hair. Gon's voice swirls and turns in his head, over and over, and over, rasping and terrifying. The worst thing he has ever heard. The worst thing Killua has ever seen.
The worst day of his life.
"No, no. no, no no no." Killua moans, stumbling aimlessly forward. The trees are saying vigorously in the picking up of the howling wind, quick and whipping all it touches with its uncaring grasp, the rumble of a massive storm crowds in overhead. The thick, fluming clouds crackling with thunder, tempest and roiling with the sickening familiar growl of curse energy.
I'll use Everything.
In his mind's eye, an endless space stretches out before him, a seemingly never ending landscape, a floor of dirt that goes on for miles and miles farther than the eye can perceive, a sky as dark and eternal as death. A precipice gapes along the edge of this realm however, a clear cut in the lawless ground, a grand canyon, a vast abyss that cuts down into the earth sharply. A steep drop off. Nothingness.
Killua stands on the edge of the chasm and looks down into the abyss, and it stares directly back at him.
The toe of his sneaker sticks over the verge of the drop, bits of dirt and rock kicking off and falling into the deep.
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