"Momoto, so this is the beauty you hid away. No wonder you were so enchanted, skipping the taverns."
Vile gazes raked Yukiori's face, the sorcerers' ugly desires laid bare, their eyes gleaming with frenzied obsession.
They knew Momoto Ichi had been hunting a boy, treasured so dearly he'd wielded sorcerer authority to search for him.
Now, seeing Yukiori, they understood why.
"Yukiori, come here. Cursed sorcerers are dangerous."
Momoto stepped forward, beckoning with a gentle tone, but his gaze slithered like a viper.
Yukiori shrank behind Uraume, showing no intent to approach. Momoto's voice hardened.
"Don't you know how many innocents these cursed sorcerers have killed? I know you're kind and obedient, Yukiori. Come to me, alright?"
"Yes, we'll protect you," chimed the sorcerers beside Momoto, coaxing.
Yukiori's presence seemed to shift their original goal.
"Or do you think this brat can shield you?"
To prove their point, the sorcerers' cursed energy flared, its overwhelming force pressing Uraume until he struggled to breathe.
Uraume stood firm before Yukiori, his gaze icy as he faced the sorcerers trapping them.
"You don't think this is all I've got, do you?"
"Shatter!"
At Uraume's command, the ice beneath cracked, splintering into countless razor-sharp crystals, slicing through the air like snow in a gale.
The sorcerers hadn't expected Uraume's reserve, scrambling to counter with their techniques.
Ice clashed with cursed energy, sparking and crackling.
Momoto sneered, conjuring a formidable cursed energy barrier, deflecting most crystals.
His barrier-based technique perfectly countered Uraume's move.
"Tch…"
Uraume clenched his fist. These weren't ordinary sorcerers—especially Momoto, the strongest lapdog of the great families.
If even Momoto was here…
As feared, Momoto didn't advance, instead stepping aside.
A path opened, and three middle-aged men—tall, short, fat, and thin—emerged.
They were great family elders, and in Uraume's current state, resistance was futile.
His cursed energy was nearly depleted from the earlier fight.
"Remarkable, truly remarkable. To think Two-Faced Sukuna's follower is such a skilled sorcerer."
Not cursed sorcerer—sorcerer.
They withheld the label, their intent clear: they wanted Uraume under their control.
They'd once considered sparing Sukuna, but his unpredictability—a ticking bomb—made him too dangerous to tolerate among sorcerers.
Uraume spat blood. "Give up. I'll never betray my lord!"
"My lord? Enough talk with this cursed sorcerer. Kill him!"
Sukuna's existence not only tarnished their prestige but challenged their long-standing rules.
"Hmph. Since you're so loyal to Two-Faced Sukuna, I'll send him to hell to join you."
At their sanctimonious words, Uraume inhaled deeply, turning to shove Yukiori. "Run. As far as you can. I'll buy you time."
"Uraume… it's my fault for holding you back."
Yukiori's heart ached, touching Uraume's wounds, dark blood frozen in the frigid night.
He knew Uraume wanted him to escape, to ensure at least one survived, but Uraume was spent—his arm hung limp. How could he stall?
"No, I'm not strong enough."
Uraume's eyes dropped, letting Yukiori embrace him.
He'd vowed to protect Yukiori, yet he'd failed.
If only my lord were here…
Would he resent me for failing Yukiori?
"You're already incredible…"
Yukiori held the kneeling Uraume, his voice soft, stroking his hair to comfort him.
Without Uraume's persistence, they'd both be…
Uraume, younger than him, was now battered for his sake.
Without Yukiori, Uraume's skill could've ensured escape. Yukiori knew Uraume stayed for him.
Uraume had even prepared to die.
Despite his reluctance, Yukiori faced this cruel reality.
"Kill us!"
Yukiori shielded Uraume, trembling with fear but shouting defiantly.
If they couldn't escape together, he'd die with Uraume.
With his cursed energy gone, icy cold seeped into his bones, turning Yukiori's face paper-white in the snow.
Yet his pale green eyes shone under the moonlight, radiant and unyielding.
"… "
Momoto opened his mouth, hesitating under the elders' gaze, then bowed his head.
"As sorcerers, we must save misguided children."
"The one before you is a cursed sorcerer, no better than a cursed spirit, slaughtering your kind. Yet you'd protect him?"
The fat elder squinted, sneering.
Yukiori ignored him. After living with Uraume, he saw him as family.
"I'd rather go to hell with Uraume."
"… "
"Then you leave us no choice."
Another elder waved, and the sorcerers surged forward.
"A pretty bird belongs in a cage…"
"What a pity, dying here."
At their murmurs and encroaching steps, Yukiori knew he and Uraume had no strength left.
Their leering gazes told him he could wait no longer…
"Uraume, now—kill me."
Please.