fics I read

'Special Grade.'

In this world, there exist thousands of different curses, each bearing various forms and powers. But only fourteen are officially registered as Special Grade.

Tamamo-no-mae Incarnate is one of them –a Special Grade Cursed Spirit. The sort of curse that held the power to level cities, if left unfettered and unchecked.

… Depending on the perspective, technically this could qualify as Shiki's first time seeing a Special Grade Curse. Because Sukuna's finger had been more of a cursed object than a cursed spirit, strictly speaking, and heavily sealed besides. Tamamo-no-mae? Was anything but.

Above her, the humanoid cursed spirit slowly descends until they're right next to Shiki, floating only mere inches off of the ground. The curse does not speak, but a low, protective growl rumbles deep in their throat. All four eyes focus unerringly on the curse user who'd nearly carved out Shiki's eyes.

If Geto-san hadn't left Tamamo-no-mae with her, Shiki would've been eviscerated.

"A Special Grade Curse for babysitting a little kid? Overdoing it a bit, don't you think?" the man drawls idly across from them, wholly unconcerned.

His careless tone is enough to raise the hairs on the back of Shiki's neck. If the man could still remain so calm and unflappable in face of a Special Grade curse, then he was definitely far, far too strong for Shiki to handle on her own.

As if that hadn't been patently obvious already.

… Was he a curse user after the thirty million bounty on Amanai? It was the most reasonable explanation for any curse user's presence at this school, but going by his actions… it didn't make any sense. If his goal was Amanai, then why go after Shiki and Kuroi?

Or… was he after Shiki for her eyes, instead of gunning after Amanai? It would neatly explain why he hadn't asked any questions regarding Amanai-san's whereabouts. And Kuroi-san was just unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Please release Kuroi-san," Shiki requests, even though she knows it's useless.

The man seems almost amused. "Nah, I don't think I will."

He flips the stolen knife in his hand like it's a toy, fingers curling over the hilt–

–and then disappears entirely.

Tamamo-no-mae reacts before Shiki has even fully realized what's happening. The cursed spirit's arms immediately sweep out in a kaleidoscope of dizzying colors, a vivid whirlwind. There's suddenly a shimmering glow in the air, accompanied by a sharp burst of light. Shiki is forced to scrunch her eyes shut against the blinding gleam, and going by the irritated grunt she hears, the curse user probably isn't much better off.

But–

"Light shows and parlor tricks. Is that all a Special Grade's got?" the man growls.

Then he does –something. Shiki doesn't know; all she registers is a dark blur of movement, and Tamamo-no-mae moving in tandem to match it. Wickedly sharp claws elongate from the cursed spirit's hand with a vaguely fox-like howl, and it's–

It's insane, is what it is. The curse user is holding off attacks from a Special Grade Cursed Spirit with nothing but a pilfered knife–!

Tamamo-no-mae rears back. Cursed energy radiates in waves from its body, and clawed hands extend outwards in front of its chest, glowing brightly. It points towards where the curse user is landing in a crouch, and a deafening explosion detonates right at the base of the man's feet.

"Tch, count yourself lucky that I'm on a time crunch here."

Clouds of dust are thrown into the air by the explosive attack, obscuring anything and everything in sight –to human eyes, at least. Shiki coughs as she squints through the smoke.

… Nothing's there.

He's… gone?

The little girl blinks rapidly several times in quick succession, disbelievingly. But the truth is there to be seen: There's no trace of anyone standing in front of her anymore as the dust slowly clears. Her mouth drops slightly open in surprise, and Shiki is left feeling rather poleaxed by it all.

… That man seemed to be evenly matched with Tamamo-no-mae with nothing more than a knife! And he just… left? Why would a curse user of that caliber just give up like that? It didn't make any sense.

Not that Shiki was complaining about suddenly not having to fight for her life anymore, but it was… confusing. Confusing, and more than a little suspicious why the curse user would suddenly just up and leave in the middle of a fight. A fight that he certainly hadn't seemed to be losing in, either.

'Time crunch.' Right, towards the end, he'd mentioned a… time limit?

Time limit. A time limit? Why would a curse user have a time limit? Something to do with their cursed technique, perhaps…? No, that didn't feel quite right. Surely there was something she was overlooking, something that she was missing–

"Shiki!"

The little girl startles.

"Sa–" Lanky arms reach down and wrap around her, hauling her effortlessly into the air and against the fabric of a familiar dark uniform. "–toru-niichan?"

"We sensed the disturbance in cursed energy." Blue eyes peer down at her discerningly as her cousin visibly goes through the motions of checking her over. The playful pinch on the cheek once he's satisfied and deems her to be perfectly fine is pushing it a bit, though. "Tamamo came out to play? What happened here?"

"There was a curse user," Shiki explains, vaguely miffed as she rubs her face and does her best not to pout, though she isn't entirely successful. "A strong one. He attacked us and Kuroi-san was –Kuroi-san!"

The little girl jolts, then whirls around as best as she is able to whilst being held by her cousin like this. She can't believe she'd forgotten about Kuroi-san–

–who is nowhere to be seen.

"Yeah, speaking of which, where did Kuroi go?" Amanai-san cranes her neck, looking around puzzledly. "You guys were together the entire time, right? Or… was Kuroi hurt?"

"Kuroi-san was knocked unconscious, earlier. He… he must've taken Kuroi-san with him." Realization finally dawns upon her. Oh. So… perhaps it hadn't been about Shiki's eyes, after all. Given the way he'd aimed for her eyes, she'd thought that… well, clearly it doesn't matter anymore at this point.

Looking back on everything, the man had actually gone after Kuroi-san first when he'd ambushed them. And although he'd attacked Shiki immediately after, it had probably been more of Shiki being unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, rather than Kuroi-san. His mention of being on a time limit earlier… he'd most likely sensed Satoru-niichan and Geto-san's imminent return, then, and beat a hasty retreat.

She says as much to them, and Geto-san makes a thoughtful, considering sound.

"That would make sense," he agrees. The tall young man forms a seal with one hand and makes a sharp gesture to the side; beside Shiki, Tamamo-no-mae's form instantly dissolves in a shower of light.

"But it's strange," Satoru-oniichan comments with a slight frown. "I'm not seeing anyone else, there aren't any cursed energy residuals aside from Tamamo…"

"Maybe they have a cursed technique that specializes in hiding?" Geto-san suggests, shrugging. "At any rate… they shouldn't have gotten too far with Kuroi-san just yet. We can split up to cover more ground. Satoru, let's–"

A sharp digital chime suddenly blares into the air. All heads swivel towards Amanai-san, who fumbles with her ringing phone.

"Oh! It's just a message from Kuroi," the girl smiles in relief. "She must be fine, then, if she's texting–"

Amanai-san chokes off into silence and pales, staring down at her phone.

Kuroi-san had sent her a photo.

To be accurate: Someone had used Kuroi-san's phone to send Amanai-san a photo –a photo of Kuroi-san tied up and unconscious in what looked to be the backseat of a car.

Satoru-niichan clicks his tongue. "They certainly move fast now, don't they?"

"Not exactly the time for this, Satoru."

"Ehh… if they're already in a car, they could be anywhere by this point," her cousin frowns. "They'll probably be demanding that we trade Amanai for Kuroi since they have her hostage. Or if we don't kill Amanai, then they'll go ahead and kill Kuroi. Something like that."

"Most likely," Geto-san hums in agreement. "For now… let's take Amanai back to Jujutsu High, first. If Shoko's back by this point, maybe we can get her to act as a body double or something when we confront the kidnappers, and then we can–"

"Hold on just a minute!" the dark-haired girl cuts in. "I… I'm coming along with you! I can't just leave Kuroi to you guys like this."

Her gaze is fierce, determined. Amanai's bold insistence on staying here rather than retreating to the safety of the jujutsu school is… not the most optimal decision to make, bluntly speaking. Even though she was the Star Plasma Vessel, Amanai was not a sorcerer herself, and did not possess any cursed technique. Which was why Satoru-niichan and Geto-san had been called in to act as her bodyguards in the first place, when it became known that she was being targeted.

Satoru-oniichan gives the girl a look. "Do you even realize the situation you're in right now? This isn't something to be taking things so cavalierly–"

"Even if you guys rescue Kuroi, what if she isn't back before the merger?" Amanai-san bursts out almost pleadingly, hands curling into fists at her sides. Then, in a broken whisper, "… I still haven't even said goodbye to her yet."

Unshed tears glisten in the older girl's eyes. Just as Kuroi-san cares for Amanai-san, so does Amanai-san care for Kuroi-san in return. Rationally, Amanai-san tagging along in the rescue effort would end up being nothing but additional trouble. But the heart is rarely rational, in matters like these.

"… We should be getting a call from the kidnappers soon," Satoru-oniichan finally says, after a slight pause. "So, we can figure things out from there afterwards. But if it turns out that bringing you along decreases Kuroi's chances of survival, then we'll definitely be leaving you behind where it's safe while Suguru and I retrieve her. Got it?"

The little girl cocks her head, mildly surprised as she looks towards her cousin. He really changed his mind on this? … Because of Amanai-san's wishes?

"That's fine with me," the girl in question responds, eyes shining brightly with some emotion that Shiki is unable to put a name to.

"We'll have to be careful about it, though," Geto-san points out with a slight frown. "If they have someone who's capable of holding off Tamamo… we're likely dealing with a skilled group here. It would still be for the best to be careful."

"It'll be fine between the two of us, Suguru," Satoru-oniichan's voice is utterly confident. "I bet the most we'll have to worry about is Amanai here getting cold feet and wanting to back out halfway. Amanai, you sure you don't want to wait things out in Jujutsu High?"

"Of course I'm sure!"

"There we have it, then. If you get scared and start crying, don't say I didn't warn you."

.

.

As it turns out, despite her fragile schoolgirl appearance, Amanai-san is made of much sterner stuff than the average schoolgirl. Which isn't entirely surprising, Shiki supposes. Amanai-san is the Star Plasma Vessel, after all, and that has got to count for something, right? Despite not being a sorcerer, she's sure that the older girl has had her fair share of trials and difficulties.

Kuroi-san had mentioned Amanai-san losing her parents in an accident at a young age earlier too, hadn't she? … That makes two of them, then.

The rescue operation to save Kuroi-san goes smoothly in the end, despite Shiki's concerns. So smoothly that it was almost suspicious –but then again, looking at it logically, there really weren't very many organizations in this world capable of opposing two Special Grades in the first place, so maybe Shiki is just overthinking it. But this entire time, the curse user who'd fought Tamamo hadn't made a reappearance at all, not even when Satoru-oniichan and Geto-san stormed the warehouse that Kuroi-san was being held in together, and it's enough to make Shiki wonder.

That curse user had been the one to kidnap Kuroi-san in the first place, hadn't he? If he went to the trouble of taking Kuroi-san hostage, then presumably his target was Amanai-san, for the thirty million bounty. Someone with that sort of skill… would he really give up on his goal so easily?

Shiki may have only encountered this curse user exactly once, but she's fairly certain that the answer would be something along the lines of, 'Not likely.'

But neither Satoru-oniichan nor Geto-san seem to be too concerned about it… or maybe that's just a front that they're putting up in front of her because they don't want Shiki to worry. Or Amanai-san and Kuroi-san, for that matter. Which is somewhat understandable, because if you're protecting someone, you probably don't want them to be scared and anxious, do you?

It's the only reasonable explanation that Shiki can come up with for the five of them currently standing on the sandy shores of a beach in Okinawa, instead of immediately returning to the jujutsu school in Tokyo.

It's a sunny day out today, clear and bright. A beautiful summer day, where the sun shines warmly upon her face and the breeze is cool against her skin.

While Shiki had been confined to the Gojo estate all this time, it wasn't as if she'd been restricted to staying indoors. The sunlight in the well-kept gardens had been warm, too, but in this moment… the sudden thought strikes her that there's something markedly different about being outside in the gardens and standing here on the beach, looking out at the overlapping waves.

Shiki is barefoot. The grains of white-gold sand are coarse beneath her feet, between her toes, and warm. Every step she takes leaves a childish footprint behind, messy and misshapen.

The little girl tentatively bounces a little bit on the balls of her feet, marveling at the strange, foreign feeling of standing on a shifting surface that's so unsteady.

"Do you think training on top of sand would help to improve footwork?" she turns to ask Geto-san beside her.

The older boy sighs, long and weary. Being a bodyguard must be really stressful. "… I think you should be trying to enjoy yourself, like Amanai and Satoru are doing."

At this, the two of them simultaneously look out to where Amanai-san and Satoru-oniichan are further down the shoreline together. Her cousin seems to be chasing the girl with a… a… some sort of slimy, slug-like creature in his hands?

"Pass," Shiki says dubiously, while Geto-san slaps a hand to his face.

"Really, Satoru?" The words are as fond as they are resigned, and Shiki thinks she finally sees it. Why Satoru-oniichan leaves his back to Geto-san without reserve, why they are together the strongest. It's not just about the power, the Special Grade ranking. More than that, it's also…

"Satoru-oniichan trusts you," Shiki realizes. Truly realizes, in this moment. "You really are good friends, aren't you?"

The older boy glances down at her, clearly a little caught off-guard by the sudden non-sequitur. "I… I guess we are, huh?"

Shiki nods, "Friends are important."

… Not that she really has any friends, not anymore. Nowadays, Shiki's days are filled to the brim with lessons and training, and it's rare that she has any sort of free time to herself. Free time that's not actually just 'free time to continue your studies.'

Yes, she's met some of the other children her age living in the Gojo estate. But with Shiki's cursed technique being what it is, and her recently-gained control somewhat tenuous… it's not forbidden for Shiki to play games with other children, not officially, although it's certainly discouraged with a firm but gentle hand.

The thing is, Shiki understands it. All it would take is a single slip-up in a friendly game of tag or something, and… the disastrous consequences are not something Shiki would ever be able to take back, ever. This is something she'd always known in a nebulous, abstract manner, long before the incident yesterday that had culminated in Shiki slicing a curse user into six different pieces.

… Someday in the future, maybe. Maybe once Shiki has better control over her cursed technique, once she is able to meet others who see her not as a sorcerer with cursed eyes, but as Shiki… someday, maybe.

There's a look in Geto-san's eyes that seems vaguely sympathetic towards her, as if he can guess the line of her thoughts. Shiki smiles simply up at him; it's not his fault that she has these eyes, and it's not his fault that the Gojo Clan is more interested in having Shiki develop her technique before developing any interpersonal relationships.

She already has Ken-jichan, and Satoru-niichan. It would be greedy to ask for more.

Speaking of, "When will Kento-ojichan be here?"

She remembers that Satoru-niichan and Geto-san had talked about calling in reinforcements prior to coming to Okinawa, and they'd mentioned Nanami. Nanami-kun. Ken-jichan!

"Nanami and Haibara should already be in the airport by now," Geto-san tells her. "They'll be guarding the airport to make sure it's secure, and prevent any curse users from disrupting the flights to stop us from making it back to Tokyo in time for the merger."

… Kento-ojichan wouldn't be coming down to the beach, then. It's hard to say if Shiki feels disappointed or relieved upon learning this.

"And on the topic of the airport… it's actually about time for us to leave, too." The teenager cups his hand slightly around his mouth, "Satoru, Amanai! Let's get going!"

"Oh, is it time already?" Satoru-oniichan straightens, loose jacket sliding down carelessly from a bare shoulder.

"Aww…" Amanai-san pouts.

It's a slight motion, but Shiki catches the way her cousin pauses. Notices the quick glance towards Amanai-san from beneath his sunglasses, and then turns back to his friend.

"… Actually, Suguru. How about we leave tomorrow morning instead?"

It's hard to say who's more surprised by Satoru-oniichan in this moment, Geto-san or Shiki. The little girl casts a faintly bewildered look up towards the older boy who returns it with one of his own, and then he's heading off with her cousin to the side, the two holding a rapid discussion in their own hushed conversation.

… Satoru-oniichan is not nice. This, Shiki knows. But not being nice doesn't mean being entirely devoid of sympathy, either –this, Shiki also knows as well. Sympathy and curiosity are the main reasons why Satoru-oniichan ever even stopped to look at Shiki in the first place, after all. Sympathy for Shiki's situation, so very reminiscent of his own childhood. Curiosity for her cursed eyes, a distorted reflection of his own Six Eyes.

"–so I'll be fine, Suguru. I mean, you're here too, aren't you?" Satoru-oniichan smiles, a dazzling expression, then looks towards Shiki. "Hey, what are you doing all the way up there? You're at the beach! Why aren't you enjoying yourself in the water with us?"

Apparently they've concluded their brief conversation, then. The little girl cautiously picks her way over, doing her best to avoid the sharp pebbles and shells embedded in the sand.

"Kuroi-san says that wet sand is hard to wash out."

"Well, that's just Kuroi's opinion," Satoru-oniichan sniffs. Then, once Shiki is in close enough proximity, instantly reaches over and ruffles her hair. Shiki bats at his hands ineffectually; now there's sand everywhere. "Or are you telling me that you don't like the beach, hmm? What kid doesn't like going to the beach?!"

The little girl makes a face, "I don't know, it's the first time I've been to a beach."

Her cousin blinks, "… Huh. Really, it's your first time?"

"Mhm." The Gojo Clan did not exactly have a propensity for taking Shiki out on recreational trips. As for the one trip that she had actually gone out on –the less said about her disastrous visit to the Kamo Clan, the better. And even long before the incident that had upended her life and resulted in her subsequently being taken in by the Gojo Clan afterwards… the Nanami family hadn't exactly gone on very many family trips together. At least, not that Shiki recalls.

Satoru-oniichan hums, a soft sound of understanding. It's only Shiki's growing familiarity with her cousin that allows her to catch on that there's something amiss, but she's still a beat too late in reacting. Between one moment and the next, the little girl is suddenly picked up and swung over him so that she's riding his shoulders, and Shiki flails a bit as she attempts to find her balance. Satoru-oniichan laughs as Shiki's hands end up tangled in his hair, striding back towards Amanai-san.

Star-shaped sunglasses dangle off from her face, sunlight falling into her eyes. There's good-natured laughter ringing in her ears, punctured by a startled squeak that emanates from her own throat. Amanai-san splashes more water towards Satoru-oniichan, and Shiki tastes saltwater on her tongue.

… This is surely a moment that she'll remember forever. Shiki quietly tucks away this precious moment filled with beachside sunlight and ringing laughter into a careful corner of her heart.

The day passes quickly. Far, far too quickly. Shiki wanders around the streets wearing oversized sunglasses and an atrocious flower-printed shirt that's ugly enough to make Kiyohira-sensei cry. She feels light, almost light enough to fly. It's something undeniably freeing, something she's never felt –never thought that she would be capable of feeling, not with the Gojo Clan.

She doesn't want to go back.

But that's… selfish of her, isn't it?

Shiki is well aware of the presence of cursed spirits in this world now, the misfortunes and deaths that they bring. It's a sorcerer's duty and responsibility to kill curses in order to remove their malignant influence, and Shiki's cursed technique –her cursed eyes– means that she has potential, more so than most. She knows this, has heard it said by the elders of the clan over and over again.

Shiki may not have chosen to become a sorcerer of her own volition, but there's no other path for her. And if she is truly able to live up to their expectations and become a powerful sorcerer one day… how many lives might she be able to save? How many would die if Shiki chose to run?

And, Kento-ojichan is a sorcerer, too. Even though there might not be much that Shiki can do for her beloved uncle at the moment, even despite her uncertainties… it would be a cold day in hell before Shiki left Ken-jichan to fight on his own. If Shiki turned away from the path of a sorcerer, that's exactly what she would be doing.

She wonders if these confusing feelings are anything similar to what Amanai-san might feel towards being the Star Plasma Vessel. If Amanai-san runs, if Tengen-sama destabilizes and the barriers fall… what that mean for jujutsu society at large? How severe would the repercussions be?

"Hey there, heavy thoughts?"

Shiki turns, "Hello, Amanai-san."

"Just call me Riko-neechan!" the older girl laughs, flopping down next to Shiki on the bed.

Their motley group had just finished checking into two rooms side by side in one of the nearby hotels a short ways off from the beach, with the girls sharing one room and the boys in another. Shiki would've been perfectly fine staying in the same room as her cousin and his friend, but Amanai-san had protested it, and here they were.

"Ri-nee has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Riko-neechan," Shiki responds gamely. Amanai-san –Riko-neechan– grins.

"You're so cute! Totally unlike that brother of yours," the smile turns into a puffed-out pout. "Geez, how'd someone like him nab such a sweet little sister like you? Where's the fairness in that?"

Shiki rather severely doubts that Riko-neechan would be saying the same thing if she'd found her in the aftermath of a certain accident involving a doll curse user. "We're distant cousins."

"Ehh?! Really?" Riko-neechan blinks wide eyes at her, looking surprisingly startled. "But you guys look exactly alike, even down to the eyes! … Sort of."

"Not true. Satoru-niichan is the only one in the Gojo Clan with the Six Eyes," Shiki informs the other girl. She can't really say much about anything else. Shiki is aware that, appearance-wise, she resembles her cousin much more than she does Kento-ojichan. Or even her own parents, for that matter; genetics are truly a mystery.

White hair, pale skin. Cursed blue eyes.

… Well, maybe not so much the 'pale skin' anymore. After an entire day spent out and about in the sun, Shiki thinks that she might be picking up a bit of a tan instead.

"Right, right, Six Eyes and the Limitless cursed technique," Riko-neechan mutters, then looks towards Shiki curiously. "So what are yours called, then?"

"Eyes of Severance," Shiki responds. She's actually not entirely sure if this is the name that has been settled on as the official designation, but it's certainly the one that she hears bandied about most frequently by the elders. "My technique is named Fragility."

"… Y'know, for a moment I thought you were going to respond with something like, 'Seven Eyes,'" the older girl comments, which startles an involuntary laugh from Shiki. "Hey, don't laugh! I'm not a sorcerer, how am I supposed to know?"

"Sorry," the little girl hides a small smile behind her hand. Which fools absolutely no one, least of all Riko-neechan who sticks her tongue out at her. From the other side of the room, Kuroi-san is hiding her own smile behind a half-raised hand.

Soon enough, the lights are turned off, and the only light remaining within the room is that of the pale moonlight spilling beneath the window curtains. Shiki lies awake on her side of the bed, listening to the sound of cicadas chirping late into the nighttime dark.

"… Riko-neechan?"

There's a rustling of cloth to her left. Coarse cotton, rather than the fine layers that Shiki has grown used to, but somehow she finds that she doesn't miss the finery of the Gojo estate in the least.

"What is it?" Riko-neechan murmurs softly. Despite the long hours of the day, the other girl doesn't sound particularly sleepy.

Shiki can't really say the same –even now, her eyelids are drooping ever so slightly– but there's something she wants to ask, before she inevitably falls asleep.

"Why are you going along with the merger?"

A slight pause. Then, a soft, helpless chuckle. "I'm the Star Plasma Vessel, aren't I? This… is what I have to do."

Shiki understands that, but, "It's unfair."

And that's the truth of things. It's unfair, unfair. Riko-neechan didn't deserve to be sacrificed in a so-called 'merger' when she still had her whole life ahead of her to live. But unfortunately, the world around them rarely cared for such things as fairness, and the very thought makes something tighten uncomfortably in Shiki's throat.

"Don't be like that," Riko-neechan says. A slim arm reaches out behind her, tentatively wrapping around the younger girl and pulling her back against a warm body in a warmer hug. Shiki allows the movement without any resistance. "I won't really be dead, y'know? I'll still live on through Tengen-sama."

"But you won't be you anymore," Shiki responds. Somehow, inexplicably, she knows this to be the truth with absolute certainty, down to her bones. "You won't be alive, not really. Just part of Tengen-sama. Your voice when you scream silently into the void will go unheard and overlooked."

"I know," the older girl responds quietly. "I know. But it's… it's not that simple. Ever since I was born, I've been told that I'm special and different. The Star Plasma Vessel, right? So I avoided dangerous things and stayed alive, all this time…"

The arm around her midsection tightens.

"My parents died in a car crash when I was really young. I don't even remember it, so I'm not upset about it or anything," Riko-neechan continues into the silence of the night. "I'm not sad or lonely. So that's why… it should be fine, when I'm gone. With the merger… I won't be sad or lonely. I'll just be part of Tengen-sama."

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" Shiki asks pointedly. The only response she receives is a shaky laugh, a shuddering breath.

… Words are not Shiki's strong suit, and she highly doubts that they will ever be. But here and now, something within her compels her to respond to Riko-oneechan all the same.

"We're similar," Shiki confides to the older girl, pretending not to notice the slight tremble in the arm holding her. "My parents died a little over a year ago in an accident. I died with them, back then. Except… I woke up again, and they didn't. So now I have these eyes to show for it."

"I'm so sorry."

"Why?" the little girl asks curiously. "The accident had nothing to do with you, the building was old and it collapsed on its own."

"I'm sorry that you had to experience something like that," Riko-neechan clarifies, and okay, that makes a little more sense.

"It's alright," Shiki says. Lies. It's not alright that Shiki is alive and her parents aren't –but that's not something that she's about to get into at the moment. "I'm not sad or lonely. And even though things are different, I have Ken-jichan. Satoru-niichan, too. I think maybe Geto-san would also be sad, if I die."

… Where is she going with this, again?

"I'm not alone," Shiki finally concludes, slow and thoughtful. "I have people who care about me, and those who I care for. And so do you, Riko-neechan."

"I…"

"At the very least," she continues, "You have Kuroi-san, don't you?"

Riko-neechan's voice hitches sharply behind her. And from the other side, Kuroi-san sniffles a bit as well, as the woman finally gives up her pretense of sleep during this ongoing dialogue.

Shiki ends up dozing off somewhere in the middle of the new conversation that picks up between Riko-neechan and Kuroi-san. The bed is warm, she knows that she's safe, and she's already said what she wanted to say. Whether or not Riko-neechan will proceed with the merger is her own choice, but… is it bad that Shiki secretly hopes otherwise? Despite what this might mean for the upcoming merger, for the barriers and for jujutsu society at large?

I want to see Ken-jichan, is her last errant, coherent thought before she finally nods off for good.

And sleeps.

.

.

The first thing that Shiki does when she sees Kento-ojichan bright and early the next morning in the airport is run up to him for a hug. She's missed Kento-ojichan, it's been forever since he last visited her in the Gojo clan compound! Likely the doings of some of the stricter elders, no doubt.

"Shiki!" Kento-ojichan briefly fumbles with something he's carrying, but manages to catch it in time. He leans down, hoisting Shiki up in one arm to settle her at his hip with a slight grunt of effort. "You've grown a lot taller."

"Ken-jichan," Shiki mumbles into the side of his collar, face buried into the dark fabric of his school uniform as her eyes start watering without warning. Why are her eyes watering? She shouldn't be so prone to crying! "I-I've missed you."

His expression softens, "I've missed you, too."

"Hey, what about me?"

"Oh my god, learn to read the mood, Satoru," Geto-san groans. Then, "Thank you for your hard work, Nanami-kun, Haibara-kun."

"Of course! You can count on us!" the other boy standing beside Kento-ojichan cheers. Haibara-san, Shiki firmly reminds herself. Haibara-san, Kento-ojichan's classmate and friend. Like Geto-san and Satoru-oniichan.

Kento-ojichan sighs, "… So long as you don't make a habit of suddenly extending a mission by an entire day, I have no complaints. Amanai-san, Kuroi-san, it's nice to meet you both. It must've been difficult, the past few days."

"Wait, what are you implying–"

"It's nice to meet you, too!" Riko-neechan grins brightly, cutting Satoru-oniichan off without a single moment of hesitation. "You're Shiki-chan's uncle, right?"

"Yes." The two exchange slight bows in greeting. "And on the matter of Shiki… Gojo-san. Why is Shiki here on your mission with you."

The words themselves are a question, but come out as something more of an accusation instead.

Satoru-oniichan laughs, bright and loud. "Ahaha, look at the time, we're about to be late for our flight!"

"Gojo, you can't just–"

Shiki is promptly plucked from her uncle's arms and resettled in her cousin's steady grip. Satoru-oniichan flashes Kento-ojichan another smile. "I'll explain once we're back at the school, okay?"

"… It better be a good explanation," Kento-ojichan eventually relents. The mission to protect the Star Plasma Vessel is an important one, after all, and sorcerers are trained to prioritize mission objectives.

"Of course, of course," Satoru-oniichan readjusts his hold on Shiki, who weathers her cousin's manhandling of her person rather gracefully, in her own opinion. "Alright, it's time to say goodbye now, before we're really late, and wouldn't that be fun."

"Yaga-sensei might actually have an aneurysm for real this time," Geto-san comments with a slight measure of amusement, before shaking his head.

Shiki stares at Kento-ojichan. There's so much she wants to tell him, but at the same time, it also feels like there's absolutely nothing she has to say to him. I killed someone. I broke my promise. I love you. Will you hate me? Please don't hate me.

"See you later, Kento-ojichan," is all she finally says, in the end.

He smiles. "Yes, I suppose I'll be seeing you later, once this is over. Stay safe, alright?"

"You too, Kento-ojichan."

The journey back to Tokyo feels like it's a lot shorter than the journey from Tokyo to Okinawa. Probably because Shiki fell asleep on the two-hour flight, and only woke up again once they were well inside the jujutsu school, ensconced deep within the mountains.

To be fair, it's been a long few days for her. Shiki wakes up still feeling a little tired, but… it's a good sort of tired, she thinks.

"Finally awake, little sleepyhead?"

The little girl rubs her eyes and yawns. "Good… afternoon, Satoru-oniichan?"

"Ha! 'Good afternoon' is right," her cousin grins.

"It's about 3pm," Geto-san supplies. She's been asleep for quite some time, then. "It's been about four hours since Amanai's bounty was lifted. We're inside Jujutsu High's barriers now, so we can finally take it easy for a bit."

Shiki takes a moment to study the two of them. Outwardly, the two of them seem to be perfectly fine. Geto-san looks to be calm and assured, while Satoru-oniichan only appears a bit bored. But there are also signs that they're not fine; there are slight bags beneath Geto-san's eyes, and Shiki would have to be blind to miss the similar signs of budding exhaustion in her cousin.

While she and Riko-neechan had enjoyed a carefree outing in Okinawa, Satoru-oniichan and Geto-san had both been on guard the entire time. There had also been several instances where either one of them would disappear for a short period of time, then waltz back as if there was nothing wrong –and there wasn't. Because they'd already dealt with the problem, discreetly and out of sight so as to not cause any worries.

"Thank you for the hard work," Shiki says, parroting Geto-san's words to Kento-ojichan and Haibara-san in the airport back to them. Geto-san cracks a smile, and Satoru-oniichan snorts a little bit.

"Nice to know we're appreciated," Satoru-oniichan shakes his head, then sighs obnoxiously as he finally deactivates his cursed technique. Shiki can feel it, the way the invisible film between her and her cousin disappears entirely, and she's fully settled into his arms. "Alright, no more! No more babysitting, I'm done with this mission–"

He pauses. Cuts off right in the middle of his words, and it's a little strange, because there was no interruption.

Shiki blinks.

It hurts.

… It really, really hurts. Somewhere inside her chest, it really hurts. But it's so entirely unexpected that it takes her a moment to even register the pain. Shiki is good at ignoring pain, though, so she blithely pushes past it, even though it burns, because it doesn't make any sense. She's with Satoru-oniichan right now, so why–?

The little girl opens her eyes. She doesn't know when she'd closed them.

Shiki opens her eyes, past the pain, and looks. Red lines unfurl instantly, scarlet lines slashed mercilessly upon the world, and the little girl finds herself looking into an all-too familiar face over the back of her cousin's shoulder.

Dark hair, dark eyes, a sardonic smile.

… It's him. It's the curse user, the one who'd kidnapped Kuroi-san. The one who'd been suspiciously and conspicuously missing when they'd gone to rescue her–!

He's holding a sword in his hands. His sword is deeply embedded in Satoru-oniichan's back. He's stabbing Satoru-oniichan.

He's also stabbing Shiki, too. His hands are clenched over the hilt of a single thin blade, running the both of them through.

So that's why it hurts.

Shiki doesn't even register her own movement. She only stares, blank and unblinking, and watches detachedly as her own hand slashes out with a knife, directly towards the man's lines. The dismissive look on his face doesn't even twitch until the last moment right before her knife is about to bite into his skin, and the placid expression on his face suddenly distorts, changes–

–and he's gone.

A soft gasp escapes Shiki's mouth as he vanishes. Her chest burns. Shiki coughs, wet and choking. Slowly, she reaches up with a trembling hand to touch her lips.

Her fingertips come away stained with blood.

"Shiki!"

"Sa… nii…" Words are difficult. Like running through sand, something she now knows personally to be difficult. Her cousin stares at her with wide eyes, and distantly Shiki wonders what it is that he sees with his Six Eyes right now. Probably nothing good, she's guessing.

So she smiles instead, but maybe that wasn't a very smart decision, either, because there's blood on her lips and she tastes blood inside her mouth.

It's not on purpose, but she loses track of time. She can feel herself drifting in and out, can catch bits and pieces of the agitated shouts around her.

–she's not responding–

–need Shoko–

–the hell are you?! I'll kill–

Shiki idly wonders if she's dying. All signs currently point to yes, she thinks, and in some ways, it's actually a relief. It might've been delayed, but Shiki knows that she'd died a year ago –or at least, lingered a little too long on that strange precipice between life and death, and that's not right.

Life is life and death is death. Shiki isn't–

I'm not alone. I have people who care about me, and those who I care for.

–a hypocrite.

…

Live, Shiki.

Promise me you'll live.

I love you.

Entirely powered by some unnamed instinct, following the echoes of the not-so-distant memory that she recalls accompanying the throes of her first death, Shiki flares her cursed energy. Cold and sharp, and as bright as the distant stars.

… But it still hurts.

Everything still hurts, so, so… very… much…

Gradually, the little girl's eyes drift shut despite the ongoing sounds of battle around her, and all she knows is darkness.

.

.

…

.