Life After Death: The Strength Of Suffering

"Papa, I'm scared!"

I looked down at Eri, her small hand gripping mine tightly as she stared at the rushing water below. A wide smile spread across my face as I knelt to her level, brushing a strand of white hair from her face.

"Come on, Eri. It's just a little jump!" I reassured her, my tone warm and encouraging.

Her eyes darted from me to the waterfall's edge, her hesitation clear. "I'll be there, right next to you." I promised, patting her head gently.

She hesitated but nodded, her tiny fingers clutching mine even tighter as we inched closer to the precipice. Just as we reached the edge, she tugged on my hand.

"Papa…"

I turned to look at her and froze. A sudden searing pain bloomed in my chest. I looked down, seeing a dagger buried into my heart. My vision blurred as I raised my eyes, only to meet a face that made my blood boil with rage.

"My~ You never learn, do you, Ry—"

I shot up in bed, my hand instinctively grasping something solid. Blinking away the remnants of the dream, I realized I was gripping someone's arm.

"What do you want?" I growled, my voice sharper than intended.

The young messenger trembled under my grip, his free hand clutching his arm in visible pain. "S-Sasaki-sama, th-there's a messenger from a clan r-requesting your h-help!"

I released him and he stumbled back, collapsing onto the floor with a look of sheer relief. Glancing at the window, I saw the faint glow of the rising sun creeping over the horizon.

"What clan?" I asked, rubbing my face as the lingering rage of the dream refused to fade.

"They appear to be unmarked." the messenger stammered, shakily pulling a letter from his kimono. "But they carried this."

Taking the letter, I frowned at the insignia stamped on it.

'The Sugawara Clan? Of fucking course.'

Those bastards were likely getting impatient about my lack of response. I let out a long sigh, motioning for the messenger to leave. As the door slid shut, I stood and pulled on a pair of black hakama pants, opting to forgo the kimono.

The chill in the air hit me as I stepped outside, my breath forming small clouds in the crisp morning air. I yawned, noticing how the frost clung to the ground.

'This winter's going to be harsher than the last.'

Another sigh escaped me, knowing I'd likely spend the coming days helping the residents prepare for the cold months ahead.

'Great.'

I trudged toward the meeting hall, the weight of my interrupted sleep dragging with each step.

'This better be worth waking up at the crack of dawn. I thought grimly.

If not, a certain clan might soon find themselves praying to gods who would refuse to listen.

~Scene Change~

I sighed, leaning back in my chair and gestured for one of my attendants to let the messenger in. Within minutes, the sliding doors opened to reveal a man whose appearance immediately caught my attention.

'White.'

His hair was stark white, as pure as fresh snow blanketing a mountaintop. It was an unusual feature almost unnatural in its clarity. Then, there were his green eyes that seemed so vivid, sharp and reminiscent of spring grass. He carried himself with an air of authority yet I found it hard to pin down his age. Somewhere between his early thirties and late forties perhaps.

"A pleasure to finally meet the East's Bandit." he said smoothly, bowing low.

I gave a curt nod, motioning for him to sit. Once he was seated across from me, I got straight to the point.

"Why has the Sugawara Clan sent you? And why now?"

His expression grew complicated and I filed the observation away. I gestured for him to speak, and he cleared his throat before responding.

"Our clan received a prophecy two years ago—"

I rolled my eyes, earning a flash of irritation in his expression. He leaned forward, speaking more firmly. "It's true. A sorcerer, one who claimed to see fates prophesied that a child would be born who would be the stone to start a change for the future."

I hummed tilting my head slightly. "And your clan thought to tell me this, why? If such a child is born, what's stopping me from ending them before they 'change the future'?"

The man stiffened but didn't falter meeting my gaze with determination. "Because this child's birth will bring about a great darkness that threatens our clan's very survival."

A sliver of curiosity wormed its way into my thoughts as I leaned forward. "A darkness?"

He nodded gravely, his hands tightening into fists. "Yes. We believe this darkness could manifest in two ways, war that draws the attention of sorcerers or a calamity that directly targets our clan. We need something or someone strong enough to counter it."

I frowned, catching the unspoken implication.

"You're asking me to be that 'darkness'."

The man didn't flinch though his shoulders sagged slightly under the weight of his plea. "Yes. Only a greater darkness can shield us from the one that looms ahead."

I studied him for a moment, the pieces falling into place. The Sugawara Clan wasn't just seeking protection, they were hedging their bets against a prophecy that could reshape the fragile balance between sorcerers and cursed spirits. As it stood, Sorcerers while strong were becoming stretched thin, barely keeping up with the surge of increasingly powerful cursed spirits that according to the Sakurazawa Clan was due to something fifteen years ago. If this prophecy was even remotely accurate, the Sugawara Clan could change how Sorcerers were needed.

I sighed, rubbing my temples as his hopeful expression grew.

"Fine." I said at last, and his face lit up. "But before I agree to anything, what exactly do you want from me?"

The man stood and bowed deeply, his voice trembling slightly as he made his request.

"Please oversee the birth of the child and ensure both the child and my clan are protected!"

I blinked. 'That's it?'

Standing, I extended a hand to him, noticing for a brief moment how much taller I was before brushing the thought aside.

"Fine. I accept. Now…" I smirked. "What's the payment?"

The man straightened, his relief evident as he reached for a pouch at his side. 'Easy money.' I thought, already planning how I'd spend it.

~Scene Change~

"Wake up brat."

I stepped into Sukuna's hut and kicked the bundle of blankets he was sleeping under. A red eye cracked open, glaring at me with enough irritation to make me snort.

"I'll be leaving for a few days." I continued, ignoring his scowl. "Figured it's time for you to start the next phase of your training."

That got him moving. He groaned but dragged himself out of bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as I walked outside. A package waited just beyond the door, wrapped tightly in cloth. I picked it up and waited, not needing to call for him again. Sukuna appeared shortly after, fully dressed and carrying his gear, though his expression was still sour.

"Where are you going this time?" he asked, falling into step beside me.

"Work." I said simply. "Some clan needs my help. Shouldn't take more than a month or two, depending on how complicated things get."

Sukuna raised an eyebrow, glancing at the bundle in my hands. "What's that for?"

I stopped abruptly, gesturing for him to stand in front of me. Holding the bundle out, I waited for him to take it. His confusion turned to intrigue as he began to unwrap it.

"This is your reward for training under me." I said, watching as his eyes widened at the weapon revealed beneath the cloth.

A silver spearhead emerged first, broad and gleaming with two curved sharpened points that flanked the main blade. Sukuna's fingers traced the weapon's edge before pulling away the remaining wrapping to reveal a deep brown wooden shaft, sturdy and balanced with a strip of white cloth tied near the blade. He gave it a twirl with his upper left arm, imbuing it with cursed energy.

{Pic}

The spear answered immediately, creating a powerful gust of wind that rippled through the nearby trees.

"It has a few tricks." I explained, arms crossed as he inspected the weapon with growing fascination. "That was one of them, a slight control of wind. There's more, but I figured you'd prefer to discover its full potential on your own."

Sukuna stared at the spear for a moment longer before turning to me, frowning. "Why give this to me? A cursed tool like this should be in your hands."

I rested a hand on his shoulder, meeting his gaze with a firm expression. "Don't overthink it. You've impressed me, Sukuna. You've grown faster than I expected, and this is my way of acknowledging that. Take it, and use it to show the world the strength I've seen in you."

For a moment, his frown deepened but then he nodded. "Fine."

As he turned away, I called after him a smirk tugging at my lips. "Don't forget, come back in a few months for our fight!"

Sukuna raised his hand without looking back, flipping me off as he continued down the path.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Brat." Then adjusting the bag slung over my shoulder, I headed off in the opposite direction.

~Scene Change~

I had been traveling for close to two days, most of it in silence. No Sorcerer had crossed my path nor were there any travelers. Normally, I would enjoy the stillness using it as an opportunity to take in the beauty of the surrounding nature. But this time, it felt different. I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that I was being watched, though I couldn't pinpoint from where.

Despite my enhanced senses, I couldn't detect the stalker's location. 'It's a cursed technique… but it feels so strange.' Back in my old world, I could smell magic from one side of Hokkaido to the other. Yet now, I couldn't locate someone less than a hundred feet away from me?

Suppressing a sigh, I called out addressing my hidden observer. "Come out before I destroy the area."

I waited, focusing my hearing. The faint scuttle of ants below me reached my ears as I strained to locate the stalker. Then I heard footsteps ahead. Slowly, a figure emerged from the shadows and stood before me. The moment I laid eyes on the man, my instincts screamed at me to eliminate him.

'He's making Loki feel like a worm in comparison.'

The thought startled me. I wasn't sure why I compared him to Loki a god, but one thing was certain, while Loki was undeniably more powerful, this man exuded a cunning that felt infinitely more dangerous.

He gave me a calm smile and bowed slightly. "Hello, Sasaki-san. It's a pleasure to finally meet someone I've heard so much about."

I hummed, cracking my neck out of habit as I observed him. Scars ran across his forehead, resembling crude cuts made by barbed wire.

"I'd like to employ you." he began, tilting his head slightly. The scars disappeared beneath his bangs. "I promise the payment will exceed even what the Imperial Family could offer you."

His confidence piqued my curiosity. "Is that so?" I asked, my tone even. "That's quite a claim. While I don't know much about their current situation, I do know they possess a rather impressive stash of wealth. What exactly, requires you to pay that much?"

He clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky. "I want you to kill the child who will soon be born to the Sugawara Clan."

My eyes narrowed as his gaze returned to me, that calm smile still plastered on his face.

"The prophecy about this child has already been leaked." he explained. "Sorcerers are preparing to go to war with the Sugawara Clan by the hundreds and possibly thousands. While I don't doubt your strength, I do wonder however if they paying you to fight off thousands of Sorcerers?"

He began circling me, his measured steps echoing in the silence.

"As you might know, the growing strength and abundance of Curses have forced Sorcerers to adapt, growing stronger themselves. Those who don't evolve die. This creates an issue, Sorcerers demand higher pay to deal with these stronger Curses, which were once easier to handle with less expense."

He paused behind me, and I turned my head slightly to keep him in my sight.

"This situation is both a blessing and a curse. To earn money, one must work. Those who can't either die or join war efforts out of desperation. This in turn, fuels more Curses to born as well creating more conflict as the cycle of scarcity continues. Desperate people take drastic measures."

I nodded, following his reasoning and turned fully to face him. His smile widened just a fraction.

"Something you may not realize." he continued. "Is that parts of the far East and outside of the East are already succumbing to famine. And it will only get worse. Farmers, who should be focused on food production, are spending their resources on protection instead. The ripple effect is devastating."

'And in the end, Japan will descend into a famine war.' I thought grimly. If what this man said was true, those under my protection would face attacks driven by hunger, even if I personally threatened the would be aggressors.

I sighed drawing his attention. Crossing my arms as I asked bluntly. "And you're saying the death of a child will fix this?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "If it were that simple, I wouldn't need you. No, my request doesn't end with just one child."

He withdrew a hand from behind his back and extended it toward me. "I want you to keep killing the so called prophesied children of the Sugawara Clan until the time comes. I can't tell you exactly when that will be, but I promise this, if you do the famine will not spread any further into the East."

I glanced at his outstretched hand, considering his words.

'Making enemies of an entire clan to stop a famine? The trade-off is massive… but I'm the fucking Eastern Bandit Leader, so who the fuck tells me I can't do something?.'

I smirked and placed a hand on my hip, my grin widening. "Fuck no. I may be known as scum, but I'm loyal to the money I've already been paid."

His calm demeanor cracked, a scowl twisting his face. I chuckled as I released half of my cursed energy from it's restraints, allowing it to seep into the air. The ground trembled beneath us, and he struggled to remain upright.

"Want to do something about my answer?" I asked, my voice low and dangerous. "If not, fuck off."

He shook his head quickly, his movements sharp and tense. As I reined my cursed energy back in, locking it down once more, he straightened himself though his once calm stare became strained.

"You'll regret rejecting me, Sasaki-san. Believe me, you will."

He turned away, his figure melting into the shadows of the trees. Before he disappeared completely, he glanced back at me his voice cutting through the stillness.

"I hope you're prepared to be forgotten."

And then he was gone.

I stood there for a moment, the forest unnervingly quiet once more. One thought crossed my mind.

'What a fucking weirdo.'