Chapter 48 - Giving Fear to Ursus (2)

The cabin was small, but large enough to fit the two residents and accommodate their needs. Wood from the tundras trees were what was used to construct these buildings, and it held sturdy enough to withstand the often cruel environment around it.

Laurentina held a book in her hands, humming while she read it. There were two cabinets flanking the sides of the bed, with a lamp on the right side, the one she was occupying. The lights have faded and become dull, providing an environment where sleep could easily overtake the residents of the room.

Megumi was laying on his bed, arm supporting his head as he was glancing away from Laurentina. His thoughts were elsewhere, many relating to Reunion, Ursus, the Emperor's Blades, and the events that had occurred today. Many of them were stressful and worrying, but he had made it through.

Just like all those other times, yet no sense of relief overtook him at the moment. Maybe it was a delayed response or something entirely different, but the Sorcerer had found that it had become increasingly harder to gain any sense of satisfaction within this new world. As compared to his previous one.

Maybe it was because there was nothing to look forward to, not in the future, or the prospects of what he could do. The only way to stimulate his brain's reward and enjoyment centers was to land the rousing Black Flash, and fall deeper into the insanity it provided for him. To briefly run away from all of his worries.

It was... pathetic.

Every victory was just his evidence of moving on to the next day in Terra. That was it, he wasn't going to see Yuji, Nobara, Gojo Satoru, or any remnants of Jujutsu Tech anymore. There were no mundane activities to seek either, whether it be going elsewhere and goofing off with them, or watching a shitty movie.

"Caught up in your own thoughts again?" Laurentina kept reading her book, but multitasking wasn't too difficult of a thing to do, so she struck up a conversation. "You haven't been looking too well over the past few days, I must say."

"That much was already a given," Megumi replied. "With how things turned out in Ursus, after all." Everything about this country seemed to scream at him to hate it, and the Sorcerer had to admit he did. It was more pointed to the government and military, with what they were doing with the Infected.

"An undisciplined and ignorant empire, we should've done more research," Laurentina snapped her book closed, not finding much interest in it. A child's fantasy book did have a sense of art to it, but this one seemed far too juvenile for her liking, "but still, it is quite an experience to remember."

"Dehumanization and cruelty, it really is an experience to remember," Megumi dryly said, shifting in his bed to catch a brief glance at Laurentina. Unexpectedly, her face was already close to his, her wine colored eyes staring deep into his soul.

"So, I'm curious, did you really lay waste to your entire clan?" Laurentina had asked out suddenly, her head tilting in curiosity. The fibers of her hair tilted along with her lead, flowing on to touch the Sorcerer's neck, "a revelation such as that is hard to ignore, especially with your thinly veiled implications."

"I can confidently say it wasn't me." Megumi's expression hadn't changed, he was far too tired to deal with this. "Even if I wanted to, I didn't have the capabilities to do so during that time. It was somebody else."

"Oh, pray tell, could you provide me with a brief story?" Laurentina pulled back, looking far more amicable than before. Her hand then reached for the lamp beside the bed, before it was slowly turned off with a gentle turn, leaving the room to be turned completely dark.

Thanks to the two enhanced senses of the residents inside the room, they could still see each other quite well. It wasn't just mere outlines either, but a darker shade of their own bodies.

Megumi pulled the blanket up to his shoulders, before laying down and looking toward the ceiling, "if you're that curious, I guess I could give you some details." The black haired man remembered the sick and tired look of Zen'in Maki, the burn scars being a testament to all hardships she had faced, boiled down into one grotesque physical deformity. "Her name was Zen'in Maki, a woman. I'm sure you remembered one of the details I gave about my clan."

"I have, and Zen'in clan? I would have expected it to be Fushiguro," Laurentina hummed, before joining him in laying down on the bed. Her accessorized hat had already been taken off, put on a clothes stand by the cabin's entrance door.

"I'm an offshoot, my father left the clan and married to a woman who wasn't associated with it, or so as I've heard." Megumi didn't know the specific details, but the brief explanations about his father and the situation of the Zen'in Clan was something he had remembered. "Long story short, he attempted to sell me back to it, but I was bailed out at the last second. That doesn't matter though, we're talking about somebody else."

The Aegir laying beside him wanted to complain that she would definitely wish to know more about the black haired man, but closed her mouth. Might as well hear what he had to say about this Zen'in Maki person, before she went anywhere else. Beats reading a children's story book—that was the only thing that FrostNova could provide her, after Eno and Sasha had finished them.

"To put it plainly, Maki-san didn't have the best standing in the clan. She wasn't born with 'talent' as the clan would put it, and was a woman," Megumi continued to explain further. "Compared to me, who inherited their 'prized jewel,' which I'm sure you know what it is, her treatment wasn't the greatest." It was then the Sorcerer realized just how lightly he was putting it, "scratch that, she was living in hell. Her life was in jeopardy the longer she stayed in the clan, which was why Maki-san left in the first place, to grow outside of their influence."

"...Yet I assume she was still a part of it?" Laurentina tilted her head. There was no way she would have just left it as is, some influences whether it be herself or other people must have somehow kept her restrained and tethered back .

"Yes, she wanted to get back at it by showing her growth, something she can't do when staying in the clan's confines," Megumi didn't know if he was being completely accurate, especially with the time he had been away from Earth—but the Sorcerer was still somewhat confident in his explanation. "Cutting to the chase, she returned back to the clan to retrieve tools that would be needed for an important event, only to be met with violent opposition from them. To the point where her sister died."

'How escalative,' Laurentina found herself further immersed in the story. If she had to assume, then that death of her unmentioned sister must've kickstarted the event which wiped out the entire clan Fushiguro Megumi was an offshoot from. What the details were... Well, she was about to hear it.

"That was the straw that broke the camel's back, and Maki-san decided to take matters in her own hands." Megumi recalled hearing the news, after becoming the Head of the Zen'in Clan. Thankfully, she didn't stray her blade in his direction, the Sorcerer knew he would stand absolutely no chance, "single-handedly, she killed every member that belonged to it. By every member, I mean every single one, no matter who they were."

The grounds were completely annihilated, a sight to behold for any Sorcerer. The once prosperous and large clan which stood as the three topones had been reduced to absolutely nothing during a day's length. It was a tower built upon sticks and stones, with a dash of duct tape holding it together.

"Did she vie to claim your life, too?" Laurentina curiously asked the black haired man. After all, despite being an offshoot of the clan, he was still a member of it in blood.

"She didn't. We were on good terms," Megumi blandly spoke back, "it was a shocking revelation, but everybody got over it after a decent amount of time had passed." The entire event was far too quick for anybody to truly register, but that was just how it was. With the amount of other problems piling up after the Shibuya Incident, there were a million other papers piled up on every Jujutsu Sorcerer's desk.

It wasn't like she went on a rampage all across Japan either, Maki was stable enough to still strive for what really mattered. In the end, although her actions may be seen as insane and highly volatile, what else was there for somebody involved in Jujutsu Society?

"Would you have done the same?" Laurentina found the story to be interesting, but it was also quite cliche. Perhaps life was filled with countless cliches, vengeance against those who have wronged them. Or maybe she was looking at the story Fushiguro Megumi had told her with too little information—after all, it was just a recounting from a second party.

"Would I do the same?" Megumi stared off into the darkness, taking into consideration the Abyssal Hunter's question to him. "If it involved something important to me, vastly important, then maybe I would have done the same," with the state he was in, the Sorcerer was sure he was most susceptible to doing it. Back then was more vague.

"Oh, wow. Haha~! Aren't you being far too easy going with this kind of matter?" Laurentina turned to him with a smile, a beautiful smile peering out from the white of her teeth. "I've heard those who are far too attached to their family, despite whatever vicious treatment they may have undergone under their thumb. However, it is theorized that some people may hold a need to 'prove' themselves against those who had wronged them—to feel the satisfaction of being proven right. Rather than say, leaving them as nothing but blood stains on the floor."

"...When stakes are at their highest, the best thing to do is to wipe the slate clean," Megumi said. There were many factors that were happening during the preparatory period before the Culling Games, "while I don't look at what Maki-san had done with a glorifying lens, I wouldn't put myself above her in terms of morality."

When it fully came down to it, he was the contrast to Itadori Yuji in many aspects. Unhesitatingly, he would resort to murdering when negotiations had fallen apart, to save his sister—the person who he had held so dearly to his heart. Everything only fell apart from there, after... especially after... ugh!

Megumi gritted his teeth, turning away so the Aegir wouldn't see his disturbance.

Laurentina let out a small huff of air from her nose, watching as the troubled man had turned away. There wasn't much else to say in this situation, the only comfort she could provide was her silence on his matters, just as she usually did. However, this time...

"There's no need to be troubled over past matters," she moved in closer and placed a hand on his exposed shoulder, whispering into the black haired man's ears. "Come with me, there's no need to lose sleep, let your mind roam free for a moment and relax."

Megumi didn't know how to respond to it, but decided to take her advice. She was right, it wasn't good to be stuck on past matters... but he'll be damned if he forgot anything about them. It was a desperate bid in order to be familiar with something, anything that could remind him of his old world.

"Well, have a good night, Princess, may the sea of your consciousness stay peaceful," Laurentina decided to delve more on the matter herself, still taking in everything she had learned about the Jujutsu Sorcerer today. So, she would fall asleep later than Fushiguro Megumi had.

There was a likely chance that the Reunion members would view the black haired man in a different light. From an invited guest to somebody who possessed what was the equivalent to a superweapon, Laurentina knew that the next few days would be filled with countless glances toward him.

"...I'll take that... to heart," Megumi replied groggily, letting the warmth overtake his body and mind. All thoughts had been vanquished from his head, the neurons within slowing down as his eyelids grew heavy. Eventually, the world of darkness greeted him with a warm welcome.

To both of them, it was a comforting feeling.

***

He and Laurentina weren't going to stay in Ursus much longer, that much Fushiguro Megumi had already known. Despite the past few days not being eventful, and the 'eventful' ones being nothing with bloodshed, furthered his views of just how terrible the country of Ursus was. Leaving a note in his mind, the Sorcerer had decided it would be best to stay far away from the north.

The stares he received after the whole ordeal with summoning Mahoraga was still intense, but the Sorcerer was slightly glad that it had calmed down, to an extent. After all, it wasn't an ordinary occurrence to experience a Divine General in the flesh.

Right now, the black haired man was working at a workbench that a Shieldguard had given him access to, as thanks for repelling the Emperor's Blades. It was inside a building which held many supplies, and the black haired man had asked for a few which weren't too important to the Reunion Movement.

Compared to everybody else, Patriot's Guerillas seemed the most approachable aside from the Yeti Squadron. The children such as Eno and Sasha—who were usually hung around Laurentina—were the most wary of him. Maybe wary was too light of a word, they looked fearful.

At that point, it didn't matter to Megumi. He was already going to make his departure from the Reunion settlement and head to a different place, somewhere that was far away from this hell frozen over.

Eventually, his thoughts were cut off when somebody had spoken up from behind him, while he was engrossed within his current activities.

"Is that..." FrostNova squinted her eyes to take in the sight of a dismantled object, its multiple complex pieces laid scattered around in an organized manner. It looked simplistic to put back together, like a child's toy—but the Cautus knew it was far more complex than that "...what is that?" She didn't know what it was, but the shape vaguely made her recall something.

"This?" Megumi didn't bat an eye toward her, far too focused on the activity which had caught both his interest and time, "it's nothing too great, just a standardized pistol." Guns were monopolized by Laterano, the religious country composed of Sankta, like that woman named Exusiai he had met back in Lungmen. "I'm taking it apart to study it."

The Dharmachakra twitched.

FrostNova stared up at the object with a complex look on her face, before nodding, "I heard guns were rare, but if you have the connections—you can get one." Seeing how Reunion didn't have even a single one, already told enough about their current standing. Not that they would want to get one anyways, it would be too much of a hassle and costly endeavour. "You handle it with care."

"Mhm," Megumi hummed at her words, his hands moving across the delicate parts. It was a simple process, like a worker in a factory shifting the cogs and moving parts of the item he was working on, but one filled with far more passion than what they held. An object was in front of his eyes, a spring. "It's only natural."

"I know it's valuable," FrostNova stared at the object alongside him, "but just how valuable?" Although she had only read a few books or heard a few things from other Reunion members, she wouldn't call herself particularly well-versed in the subject of firearms. Maybe it was because the gun was disassembled, or because she didn't know the full implications... but it didn't look too impressive.

"It's not a matter of value to me," Megumi responded to her, placing the object down before shifting to another part. The clip part which held bullets was separated from the magazine, the Sorcerer's eyes glinting at those specific parts, "I don't care if it holds monetary value, or if it's an effective tool for killing." The person who he received this from... this was the only physical object which he held from them.

It reminded him of his sensei, the gleaming blue eyes which shone the passion of the skies themselves. The gift wasn't anything grand, and could even be considered anticlimactic with how it was handed to him. Some context was given in regards to the legacy of the pseudo-Cursed Tool, but Fushiguro Megumi never cared for such things.

The Sorcerer Killer was already gone, whoever they were. Whatever cruel or bloody legacy wasn't something he wished to care about. For all he knew, the aforementioned person was probably a Curse User who wrecked needless havoc, just as those back in Shibuya had done.

"Then it's of more importance than I thought," FrostNova's ears moved slightly.

"The firearm was given to me for better self-defense," against Cursed Spirit and the like, "but I haven't had much of an opportunity to use it, as compared to using my abilities to defend myself." The problem with the Glock pistol was that it lacked firepower. Using any higher level of Cursed Energy to empower it would just be a waste.

The feature it had for Jujutsu Sorcerers was that it was very conservative when using Cursed Energy. For comparison, it shot just as well as a 9mm ammunition round when the standard output of Cursed Energy was applied. It could become higher the more was into it, but it still defeated the purpose of efficiently using Cursed Energy.

'Besides, it could be loaded with bullets. The main purpose I've heard for this weapon was for Jujutsu Sorcerers to have a 'modern' way of fighting against Curse Users, because bullets have been proven effective in that regard.' Megumi continued to fiddle with the parts, having turned his attention back to them. 'Conserving Cursed Energy while still being able to fire bullets was just an added bonus.'

The Jujutsu higher-ups and those still stuck in the past didn't approve of the production of such arms. So they were frowned upon and even outright banned from being created by Cursed Tool creators, leaving only a small few which had been produced. Even then, a majority of them were destroyed or trashed.

'What a shame,' Megumi sighed to himself. He wondered how powerful military equipment would be when infused with Cursed Energy or even Cursed Techniques. Wouldn't it be a sight to watch a tank fire a round that collapses countless buildings, and eviscerates a Cursed Spirit? 'Now that I'm thinking about it, Cursed Energy and Cursed Spirits became a commonality back at home.'

Well, commonality wasn't the right world. For all of Earth, the revelation of Cursed Spirits being a real thing had been recently discovered, causing chaos to ensue all around the world. It was only about time before it spread to other places, making the Sorcerer worry about his friends even more.

'...Aside from them, Earth would probably evolve as a result to handle Cursed Spirits, won't they?' With the influx of Cursed Spirits not only bound to appear in Japan in large numbers—but also other places such as the U.S.A.—humanity would need to develop a better way to handle them. More Jujutsu Sorcerers are likely to be born as a result, too.

So tanks firing off rounds empowered by Cursed Energy. Could it be extended in such a way? Perhaps to even jets and planes? It was quite a scary and eye-opening thought for the Sorcerer. Ever since he had gained an interest in creating Cursed Tools.

'...What would happen if Cursed Energy were infused into a nuclear bomb?' Megumi took a short moment away from analyzing the parts of his Glock to mull the question over. If he had to be completely honest, such a thing was frightening. He feared such a thing far more than even Gojo Satoru, the man who put the King of Curses back to sleep.

If somebody like the Tsar Bomba was enhanced by Cursed Energy and turned into a Cursed Tool (or Cursed Object) it would very likely lead to disastrous consequences.

"...Why did you help me?" The question had been ailing the frost rabbit ever since the happenings from yesterday.

"I don't understand? Where is the question coming from, I mean." Megumi raised an eyebrow, giving a small side glance toward the woman to show that he was listening. His wheel continued to turn silently while he fiddled with parts of the disassembled Glock, infusing some of his Cursed Energy through them.

"You could have left Reunion the moment they appeared, I was sure you were already pretty far away from the settlement by the time... they appeared," FrostNova sat by a chair close to him, feeling her fingers. They were less cold than she could have imagined.

"I had the means to do so, might as well," Megumi didn't put much response into it. That was exactly how it went within his mind at that moment, when he charged toward the fearsome Facerending Lich. "I guess it's also because I don't think somebody like you deserves to be killed. You've already been dealt a bad enough hand."

Although the Sorcerer didn't know the full context, just hearing the plight of the Infected was enough. From what he did understand, was that FrostNova had been Infected at a very young age, and hadn't had much of a childhood other than the Ursus Tundras. Seeing her interactions with the Yeti Squadron, even from a distance, was also a heartwarming scene, despite all the tragedy that came with these dreaded lands.

"Is that so?" FrostNova felt her rabbit ears twitch, before staring at his wheel. Perhaps that was the means he was talking about, calling upon a Divine General which could smite evil. It was something that stood at the same height as her father, and had caught his attention to the point where it looked like he was negotiating with the black haired man.

Even with Talulah, the Wendigo wasn't one to talk as much as he did to Fushiguro Megumi. At most, the majority of conversations were saved when concocting battle plans, and ways to liberate the Infected from the Ursine mines.

"How was the candy I gave you?" FrostNova shook her head and turned her attention away from it. The more she thought of Mahoraga, the more its twisted grin was drilled into her head, the vicious expression almost making her worry for her father at that time.

"The candy?" Megumi remembered the little treat the Cautus woman had dropped into his hands, after their conversation. "It was amazing," the Sorcerer wholly admitted, a small smile making itself known on his face. "A long time since I've tasted anything like that, if spice can even be counted as a taste." It was because spice from the candy activated his capsaicin receptors, inducing 'pain' rather than 'taste.' Still, at least he felt something within his tasteless mouth.

"That's..." FrostNova didn't know what to say, having expected him to fall for the little prank she would do with the other Reunion members—especially her Yeti Squadron "...You enjoyed it?" The rabbit lady tilted her head in confusion.

"I did," Megumi clarified, even if he didn't think it was needed. "What's so surprising about that?" The Sorcerer went back to analyzing the parts, having gotten a clearer sense of how the Glock pistol worked. However, there was still quite a bit of time before he knew how to apply a Cursed Technique to the object.

Items such as swords are rather simple in shape, the only complex part being the alloy which comprises the weapon, as compared to a firearm which have multiple working parts, thus making imbuing a Cursed Technique into a gun far harder than melee weapons.

"It is surprising," FrostNova wondered if his expression can ever change from its neutrality, "everybody who I've given it to has a strong reaction," she could still remember the expressions of her Yeti Squadron members. "You're calmer than I would have expected."

"Is that so?" Megumi dropped his items and scratched the back of his neck, holding a complicated expression. "I guess I just really like spice, then," the black haired man took a glance at FrostNova, the Cautus girl slightly flinching. From that reaction alone, it didn't seem like she was used to looking at him anymore.

Was it because of Mahoraga?

On FrostNova's side, she felt something was wrong with Fushiguro Megumi's eyes. It had become like this since the time he had called his Divine General to his side, but it wasn't to an extent that would make her flinch. Something had changed, but the Cautus didn't know if she should comment on it or not.

"If you want repayment, then I can provide you something." Megumi slightly pulled his chair back to make more distance from the table, before a puddle formed close beneath his feet. Ignoring FrostNova's confused looks, he reached into it and grabbed what he needed. "Here you go," it was a white rabbit, with a marking on its belly.

He had unmerged Yamata-no-Orochi, but it didn't matter much to the Sorcerer. The black haired man had already re-fulfilled the requirement where he needed to hit a target by making all of his Shikigamis attack himself. That meant he was free to reform the Totality once more.

"I... huh?" FrostNova was even more at a loss, interchanging her line of sight with where he had formed the black puddle and pulled the rabbit out from, and back to his hands. "You have other summons...?" The Cautus then remembered the dragon that had come to her aid, even if she were slightly out of it during that time. 'Ah, how could I have forgotten?'

"Yes, I do," Megumi handed the rabbit to the woman, FrostNova letting out a surprised sound before grasping it.

"Y-you do know I'll give it frostbite, right?" She looked slightly panicked, flustered at the situation she had been put in. Even if it were a furred creature that could survive the harshness of the tundra—as seen by its white fur—her body would only serve to loosen its standing in the living plane.

"My summons aren't that weak," Megumi responded, "don't worry." Rabbit Escape depended on his Cursed Energy output, just as every Shikigami had. The Sorcerer always had it at max output when summoning and keeping it stored in his shadows for passive chants, to make doubly sure it wouldn't perish in battle.

So with his current Cursed Energy levels? The Shikigami would most definitely survive FrostNova's body temperature. Even if it by some miracle started dying because of her body temperature, then Rabbit Escape would immediately be dispelled when it had sustained enough damage.

"Oh... I see," FrostNova recovered from her shock, holding the creature in her arms. It didn't react violently, all it did was sniff a few times before becoming comfortable. Subconsciously, the woman's rabbit ears twitched in response to its actions, "it's... quite adorable." Her finger moved upwards, to softly tickle it under the neck.

"I'm glad, then." Megumi watched as she started to gently pat it with her fingers, entering a trance in an instant. He raised an eyebrow at that, but decided to let the Cautus woman be. Maybe the people of Terra had a closer connection to the animal they were based off of? That would seem like an accurate assumption to make, based on her reaction to Rabbit Escape.

The same thing happened with Swire and Texas if he recalled accurately. With that in mind, the Sorcerer decided to go back to his work, waiting for his Dharmachakra to spin the more he infused Cursed Energy into his firearm, and analyzed its parts.

On the other side, FrostNova was busy petting the Shikigami on her lap. The black haired man hadn't lied when he said the rabbit could handle her temperature, but that also brought up more questions of what its capability was. Seeing how he had multiple summons ranging from a rabbit, to a dragon, and then a Divine General, the Cautus pondered what else he could possess.

...His clan must have been a very influential one, if there were more people like him in it. She wouldn't know, though, as FrostNova was sure that he wouldn't want to speak upon the matter. Especially since many misunderstandings were brewing in the background, being that Fushiguro Megumi had slaughtered his entire clan, despite his deniability to it.

FrostNova... didn't really know herself. But she liked to believe that the past didn't fully determine what somebody was like. He had helped a village against an Ursus patrol squad, along with fending off the Facerending Liches known as Ursus' Royal Guards, so it would be foolish to consider him a person who killed needlessly.

Based on the description of his clan, the Cautus could also understand to an extent why he would have done such a thing—if he had actually done it, obviously. Still, it left a bad taste in her mouth the more the rabbit lady recalled it, so she decided to spend the rest of her energy doing something that helped calm her nerves.

***

Megumi breathed out a sigh of relief. It was the kind he would feel whenever all assignments assigned by Jujutsu Tech were completed, whether it be mission reports or homework that had been given to him. Just the feeling of the weight leaving his shoulders was enough to make him sit back in his chair and let all worries exit his body.

The same thing applied to when he had put the Glock he had disassembled back together, having gained enough knowledge about the firearm to be confident in infusing a Cursed Technique into it. While he was sure he wouldn't be able to create a firearm without the help of a gunsmith, just being able to enhance one was enough in his book.

Some modifications would be needed to make it accommodate the Cursed Energy and Cursed Technique he was going to imbue into it, but the Dharmachakra had already provided him with enough experience via adaptation to make it a smooth process. So as a result, Megumi had decided to take a small break and close his eyes.

Creating Cursed Tools to aid him in combat felt great. Not only did it provide him with a better weapon to aid him in combat, it also served to improve how precise he was with his Cursed Energy. Even if it came from the temporary adaptations of Mahoraga, some of the experience he gained from it had still lingered. Like a faded muscle memory of sorts.

Feeling that he had taken a long enough break during the length of five minutes, Megumi sat up with a straight posture and stared at the reconstructed Glock pistol on the table. It had very little Cursed Energy imbued into it, but no ingrained Cursed Technique. The next step was to infuse it with more Cursed Energy and then apply the Cursed Technique he wanted it to have.

Yamata-no-Orochi's Piercing Ox ability and lightning would be the best option. A bullet travelled in a straight line when fired, and at immense speeds too. So if he applied lightning to make it go even faster, along with the built-up force of Piercing Ox amplified by Yamata-no-Orochi's nature as a combined Totality—then it would cause devastating damage.

'I want to use it as a parrying tool to catch my opponents off-guard, then I should apply a Binding Vow with Cursed Technique Reversal, shouldn't I?' Megumi placed a hand under his chin. The thought process was that the bullet within his Cursed Tool would gain more power the more it travelled, but what if it were in close distance?

It would be less effective if he shot it from close-up, meaning it would be harder to use it as a parrying or surprise tool to catch his enemies off guard. That could all be alleviated with a Binding Vow that was interchangeable, which meant that he could make Piercing Ox's Cursed Technique charge up more power the longer it travels; or charge up more power the shorter it travels.

That way, he could use it as both a parrying tool and a ranged gun. Even then, the latter wasn't too appetizing for him to consider, as he already had Daiitoku in his arsenal. Unless he felt like using his future Cursed Tool as a ranged option for fun, then it would be relegated as a parrying tool for now.

A parrying tool which hit extremely hard.

"Mr. Fushiguro."

Megumi perked up at the words of FrostNova, turning around from his seat to take a look at her. She had taken a walk outside to get something along with Rabbit Escape, something which he didn't have the full details on. It wasn't much of a bother to him, the woman had other things in her life.

So color him surprised when she walked in with what looked to be a folded up white cloak with some fur around where the collar should be. Rabbit Escape's main body laid atop it, the woman handing the article of clothing to him.

"Here," FrostNova felt the weight of the object leave her hands once he slowly received it, "I believe you'd need something like this. You always wear that black haori when I see you around."

"...Huh?" Megumi blinked a few times to register her words, "don't... practically all of you wear the same clothes?" The Sorcerer scrunched up his features slightly, wondering why the Cautus had to specifically point him out for wearing the same clothes every time.

FrostNova opened her mouth to say something, but then closed them "...Ah, perhaps you're right," the white haired woman stared blankly for a second, before shaking her head and coming out of her stupor. "Forget what I said earlier."

"...Sure," Megumi stared at the article of clothing he had just received, "well, thank you for them." Even if the cold weather of the tundra didn't bother him much, then he could make his cloak into a Cursed Tool to further amplify his fighting capabilities. "Tell the person who made it that they have my thanks, too."

"Erm," FrostNova looked away for a moment, "I'll... be sure to tell them that." Although she didn't know the full details from it, Talulah had left it in her hands, the Draco not knowing what to do with it. The thing was, the Cautus girl didn't know what to do with it either, as she already had her own cloak—along with all the other Yeti Squadron members.

The specific person who made it... let's just say, they weren't with the Reunion Movement anymore.

"Alright," Megumi turned around, before telling Rabbit Escape to hop off the folded cloak and back into a shadow puddle. It would remain there for now, a thought that came to him just as he donned the cloak. Its fabric fluttered in the air, before it settled over his body on top of his black haori. "I'll make sure to wear it during my stay."

FrostNova let out a small huff, "I'm sure it's maker would be glad to hear that. I'll be going now, goodbye."

"Goodbye," Megumi replied, preparing himself mentally to create the Cursed Tool he wanted.

FrostNova took a step back before pivoting and making her way to the exit. However, she paused at the last step separating herself from the warehouse's workshop and the snowy ground outside. Taking another glance behind her, she took one last look at the glowing wheel above Megumi's head.

KLNK

It turned. It made her uneasy. For some inexplicable reason, it had emitted a radiance when it had turned, causing the Cautus to slightly shield her eyes and blink a few times to get the disorientation out of her system. The more she stared at it, the more uncomfortable she became, remembering the goliath which stood in front of her father and grinned.

Shaking her head, FrostNova had found herself being too distracted about the summon recently. Taking another glance at her hand, the woman took a step outside to the snow... weirdly enough, she felt as if winter wasn't as cold as it usually would be. It was hard to tell with how the weather was in the tundra, being constant snow no matter what.

Perhaps it was summer? It did feel much warmer than she could have ever expected her body to feel. But alas, her senses were still lackadaisical at best, hardly being able to differentiate a majority of what she felt.

It was a strange feeling.

The rest of the day passed without a hitch.

***

Anger.

Resentment.

Was that all he could feel when watching through the planes of the winterstruck lands? It was the only permeance which had struck through his stoic nature, unveiling all superficial layers which have been imposed by himself.

The endless carnage of soldiers laid beneath his feet, as he continued to walk through the frigid winds of snow fjords. There was taint amongst these lands, one colored a metallic black, peering out of the embrace of the snow.

It was the duty of the Yakushi Nyorai to heal all, to cure all. For Fushiguro Megumi, such a thing could happen when ridding this world of such intrusive taint, in the form of a burning golden flame. To release those under the oppressive rule of an empire.

Even then, how much more would he have to kill? To send a message to these people? A humorous thought, because they most likely wouldn't care for him. Most likely, they were already scheming and finding ways to take him out of the equation, with what those Facerending Liches had said.

The temperature was rising. A golden tint was all across his vision, Megumi staring blankly at the hellzone that had been created. Surrounding him were the immense berth of an eight-headed serpent, coiled in close proximity to the Sorcerer's body. They continued to breathe out, laying waste to the artificiality and cruelty of man.

His steps halted, taking a look at what looked to be a place hunkered down and digging deep into the earth. A mineshaft, Megumi had recognized the appearance even from the distance he was at from through the flames. If he had remembered correctly, the Reunion movement would often visit such places to liberate the Infected slaves trapped within.

So, he decided to make his way there. To cure those who were in need of his healing, and to purify the taint which had been plaguing the world. Step by step, he came closer to the rundown shaft which protruded from Terra's crust.

Through the melting snow and ceasing flames—from his beckoning—Fushiguro Megumi had finally made his way across. Staring into the darkness of the structure, the black haired man assessed the dangers of going into such a place. In the end, he found none.

His feet make contact with a grainy ground, rocks and pebbles falling down as a result from his weight acting upon them. Making his way through while weaving through the small entrance, Megumi was greeted with the sight of a tunnel. It was larger than the entrance frame, that was for sure.

Stepping through and making his way across, the Sorcerer made sure to keep his senses keen. Cursed Spirits were usually common in these kinds of environments, and also unusually stronger as a result. With how many people feared the dark, it was akin to a ground for Cursed Spirits to recuperate and become stronger.

A shift in the air was detected, the black haired man not paying it much heed. There was a corner which needed to be taken to see where else this path would take him, and Megumi was about to make the turn. Just as he did though, a flashing gleam of a machete had made itself known.

The full figure of an Ursus military man was already before his eyes, their gas mask and ushanka fluttering with their intense movements. They were tense and gaping with their eyes, adrenaline being the only driving factor for them.

Megumi kept his gaze focused, as time around him had slowed. A marker seemed to have appeared within his vision toward where the Ursus military man's blade was, watching as it slowly made its way through the air. 'Alright, this is good practice.'

Supreme Art: Noble Eightfold Path

A modified and bulky pistol flashed from where his left hand was after the shadows had coalesced to where it was. Within a moment's breath, a flash of red was seen across the empty tunnels of the mineshaft, ripping across the scenery.

BANG

A distorted sound reverberated across the walls, bouncing an unholy echo throughout. Firstly, the blade of the Ursus military man had completely shattered from the pressure of the red projectile forming into a beam flying across. Secondly, the upper left half of their body had been completely blown off.

Megumi stood there silently, only regarding them with a blank stare. His left hand holding the bulky handcannon was pulled back in the air from the intense recoil of the weapon, watching steam emit from the barrel of the gun. Slightly moving back, the corpse of the Ursus guard fell.

The handcrafted armament of precise destruction, concentrated into a convenient hand-held object, had proven itself to be a formidable weapon in the hands of the Sorcerer. Modernity was at its finest, speaking its clause in its great effectiveness in the use of taking lives. The firearm was simple and easy to use, needing only a mere pull of the trigger to execute the wrath capable of collapsing buildings.

There was no need to holster the weapon in a dramatic flair, the surrounding panorama of depression and monotony didn't need such a pervading contrast. Besides, Megumi had already seen himself an intruder to the normality of this place, being the bane to whatever atrocities were being sanctioned.

All it took was a flick of the palm, before the shadows consumed the firearm in its clutches, digesting it down to its very soul. Once an inanimate weapon of no renown could now be considered a magnificent piece of art hellbent on creating a display of pure and unfettered violence.

The passing scenery for him was fickle, nothing of note that he could say about it. However, his other senses told otherwise. The scent wafting across the air like a dancer upon a tightrope continued to drum his buds... if they were still functioning, all he could make were the assumptions of what these sediments surrounding him smelled like. Aside from that, the murky and dust coating building up around his body—despite having not spent much of a time inside— continued to irk his skin.

However, the white coat with furred lining at where the collar was continued to provide a brief respite from all these horrors. The gift of FrostNova, blessed with the comfort of warmth despite the raging winter was something that he was going to cherish, a sign of the thread which connected him to Reunion.

If Talulah had left an impression of Reunion by scalding his skin upon their very first encounter, then the white haired Cautus had left a rejuvenating ice which eased his bruises. In the end, however, first encounters were first encounters, and there was nothing productive in delving deep into the past.

Oh, how ironic that was.

His impending journey across the tunnels came to a halt, a strange feeling enveloping his body. Megumi could already tell there was a high sensitivity of negative emotions penetrating the air was something a Sorcerer was familiar with, like an ex-husband to their ex-wife. A toxic relationship meant to burn and churn in radioactive waste, forever scorned.

The vast darkness in front of him was invasive to his mind, as if beckoning its Sovereign to go to where it was. A call was made to him, and the Sorcerer was going to respond to it with a careful gait. Once he continued to make his way through the endless silence, the shadows had moved out of the way to make his vision much more clearer.

Something was wrong, that much was certain. As each step brought him ever closer to his destination, the black haired man continued to feel a hole forming in his chest. Not even the feeling of butterflies flapping their wings could contend with such an uncanny vibe, for what he was feeling right now was one of an approaching battle.

A battle fraught with naught but baseless valor. To contest the view of the other opponent and lay a pool of ichor for no other apparent reason than an oppositional one. It was a commonality within nearly the minds of all developed humans, whether it be moral or immoral—they were still subjective in the end.

Eventually, he finally arrived at his destination. There were many things that the human mind was prepared for, based on experiences and long standing lessons that have been brought unto them. Fushiguro Megumi had seen many things, many curses across his life, and scenes of splattered gore.

But this took the cake.

The blood, long dried over the course of time flowed a river across the ground, in dashed streaking lines of burgundy. It was a message, a message to the black haired man witnessing the scene, one ever presently malignant and terrifying. A message, which further shook the foundations of his world.

A scream, a testament to the cruelty capable in the hands of humanity, was letting out a scream before his very body. There was nothing to be healed from there, because it no longer could be healed. He was late, far too late to do anything to alleviate the pain and sorrow which the scenery presented, nor was he ever capable of preventing it in the first place. It was an inevitability, just like all events happening across the globe.

A pile.

The rancid smell of corpses long since rotten over the course of time invaded Megumi's nose. Mixing in with the cold air was what looked to be a frozen store of meat, left for any passing vulture to feast their beaks upon, tearing them apart piece by piece. Vicious marks were all across their skin, some bodies having been turned into entire Originium rocks.

The stack reached up to about where his neck was, but that wasn't what happened. The fact that the signs of brutal savagery marked every part of their limb was what had caught the Sorcerer's attention the most, to the point where some of them looked like they had been skinned. A brutal form of torture, revealing the crevices of their flesh and nerves.

Green infected wounds were seen all across their body. That had already far entered a decaying phase, soon to become a part of the twisted lands of Ursus' tundra. Fading slowly into obscurity in the cold embrace of winter was all they could do, leaving nothing but a scar and taint upon what could have been a beautiful land.

Megumi stared at it silently, the corpse gorged on by military, propaganda, and tyranny showcasing itself full force in his eyes. There was no discrimination amongst the people which he saw, all of them ranging from the elderly, to children, to middle-aged people, and even... was that a baby?

How... did they have a baby in the pile?

...No, it was more accurate to say it was an unborn fetus, ripped straight out of the womb of a woman and left splattering across the corpses. It was then he realized this place he had encountered was their natural home. They had entered the world only to have the light of life stripped away, from the moment it had shone on them.

He wasn't one to become enraged, for the Sorcerer merely looked upon tragedy with a somber stance. There was nothing he could do, but he sure wished there was something his strength could provide him. Yet the fact remained true, even if he had surpassed Gojo Satoru or Ryomen Sukuna in strength by leaps and bounds—it wouldn't solve all of his problems.

At most, it could only provide him for the lacking security he felt. Sadly, it would not be able to let him save everything which the black haired man wished to selfishly save. The sight before him had further clawed the fact deep into his psyche, for omnipresence and omnipotence was but a fantasy.

Megumi continued to cast his gaze at the decrepit scene before him. Truly, he wished for nothing more other than to see the light at the end of this dark tunnel, to be reunited with who he held dear in his heart.

'I want to go home.'

He regretted it, cursing the previous world which he came from. He had taken everything for granted, having not realized that there laid far worse fate than battling Cursed Spirits. In fact, the repetitiveness and disgusting nature of Jujutsu Society was something he had much preferred over this damnable sight.

'I want to go home.'

Because of Jujutsu Society, he perhaps could have made a difference. Here? What else was there to do other than let out his violent rage, to let his vision become clouded in rage and destroy more Ursus outposts?

'I want to be with them.'

Desire was what drove every competent Jujutsu Sorcerer. For somebody who sought out the path of strength, Fushiguro Megumi knew that he needed a desire to strive for, to fully complete. An endless one which would forever have him chasing, and what better way than to wish for the impossible?

'I want to go home to them.'

The warm and fuzzy memories overpowered everything around him, like a domain overtaking another. The laughter of Itadori Yuji, foolishness of Gojo Satoru, and sass of Kugisaki Nobara were. A warm blanket to protect him from his everlasting winter, something he desperately wished wasn't an impossibility.

'Love.'

He only realized how much he loved such things, despite not showing any outward reaction to it. Just watching from the sidelines was enough for it to ingrain itself deep within his mind, the imprint having become a permanent one.

'I love them. Yuji-kun, Gojo-sensei, Nobara-chan, I love all of them.'

It was an admittance which the Sorcerer would have never made. Not in this lifetime, nor the next. But desperately clinging onto any hopes of affirmation and former reality, Megumi felt like brittle glass shattering against the silent ground.

He hated this world.

He loved his own.

He would do anything to get back to them.

For love was the most twisted curse of them all.

***

"You've become increasingly distraught overtime." Laurentina crossed her arms when taking in the sight of the obviously disturbed man. Seriously, the thousand-yard stare that seemed to pass straight through her and off to a vast expanse of whatever was behind completely gave it away, "I was content with keeping your privacy as is, not needing to invade it. But I must say, you're making it difficult."

"Sorry," Megumi sat by a chopped tree log, his right leg moving upward with his right arm resting on it. "It was a bit of a long journey, when I went out," the Sorcerer said, before pausing. His lips thinned, eyes lingering across the ground while something continued to cross his mind. "Well, guess I've already decided my views upon Ursus," such as how it continued to ring its message to the black haired man...

...He was going to respond with his own.

"...Hah~, what is it this time?" Laurentina dramatically sighed, moving to the log to sit by Megumi, inching closer to him, "you should've brought these matters to those Reunion folk, I believe they would be the better people to consult the matter on. But~, I'm all ears." Her shoulder touched his own, before she settled down on a seating position.

"You're probably right on that," Megumi felt as the Aegir's flowing hair mingled with the white fur of his white cloak draped across his black haori. "I want to make a stop to the South of Ursus, I've recently discovered that military reinforcements are going to be sent from there. In fact, even an Ursus big shot may be making their way to the north, where Reunion is."

"The south, huh? Let me guess, you want to give Reunion a little help for allowing us to say—no, nevermind. You're not one to pay back debts or place debts on others," Laurentina shook the notion off. "So, tell me, this must be a more personal matter with how much you've been steaming over the past few days."

"It's nothing of note, just something petty I want to do," Megumi said without much passion. "If anything, it's a fully selfish idea I want to realize, as much as I want to deny it myself." But the truth was the truth, what he really... really wanted to do had been plaguing him ever since he walked upon the occupied plains of the tundras. "After multiple mines had been liberated, and many outposts were destroyed..." no thanks to a certain somebody "...the Ursus Patrol Squad have been filing for more support. Suffice to say, it had been accepted, something I had found from some of the remaining rubble."

"Gee, I wonder who~," Laurentina playfully chirped to the black haired man. "Somebody has been down in the dumps recently, and multiple outposts have been completely annihilated, and you just so happen to stumble upon one of them with all crucial information still intact." She continued on.

"...I've already made it obvious enough," Megumi replied with a pensive voice. "We're heading to the south of Ursus temporarily, and then we're going to make a trip to a different place." The Sorcerer felt the Abyssal Hunter rest her head on his shoulder.

"I see, then, any specific information of where we'll be continuing our small journey?" Laurentina had decided to leave the matter as is. With how extreme the Ursus military was with the Infected, it was only reasonable for her Princess to respond to them in kind.

"I don't know yet, I'll probably have it planned by the time I finish business in the south. The Nomadic City where support had been accepted is named Chernobog, by the way." Megumi decided to give a few more specific and clarifying information.

Laurentina hummed in acknowledgement, content with watching the snow continue to fall from the willow trees towering above them. They were stripped of their leaves, barely anything that could give them an identity. Only the sad state they were in, facing the battering ram of the cold which had worn them over time was what identified them.

"...Besides, how's your Oripathy?" Megmi decided to bring up another topic while watching the scene with her. "I haven't touched on that matter for a while now, and I haven't applied treatment to you in a while... ever since Primavera, that is."

"Oh? Worried about me?" Laurentina giggled, slowly rubbing her head against his shoulder, "ah, there's no need to worry about that. Haven't felt much aside from a brief pause of my actions, those black minerals haven't impeded me in any way." She mused, "you know it'd take—much—more than that to hamper me."

"Ah, well, that's good to hear," Megumi relieved, but the energy signature that the Originium in her body gave off was still intense. "We'll be departing soon, might as well say our goodbyes to Reunion," he didn't have much else to say.

"I won't be missing the tundras," Laurentina commented, "I don't mind the company here, though. I guess we were lucky to encounter such a hidden gem in these lands, even if it had prickled you at first." The Abyssal Hunter sprung back to her feet, slightly spreading her arms outwards to regain her balance.

"Pretty sure I left a deep impression on them, too." Megumi mirthlessly said, hopping off from the severed tree stump.

"You say that so casually after calling upon a 'Divine General,' which slew two of this land's most formidable opponents, mind you?" Laurentina placed a hand over her mouth, humoring his dryness. "Who would have known?"

Megumi clicked his tongue, "I was being sarcastic."

"So was I."

...Megumi let out a huff of air from his mouth, his breath being visible within the passing breeze, and caressing off his cheek. He turned his head back toward the Reunion settlement, tugging at the collar of his white cloak. "Let's go."

***

Spending an overall time's length of a month in Ursus' confines wasn't something Megumi would have expected, especially after discovering all of their misdeeds. Most of the time, it would be roaming and looking for outposts, or spending the entire day passing by to train. Conversations were only with FrostNova, or Talulah telling him of some stories—such as Reunion's previous escapades.

All the other members, especially Patriot, weren't people that approached him for a conversation. The latter wasn't much of a talker, so Megumi could see why, along with the former most likely finding him to be unapproachable with his temperament. That combined with what he had done during the time of Reunion being besieged also contributed to his unsociable standing.

That didn't matter much to him, since he was going to leave anyway. Laurentina was the one who had the pleasure of interacting with the majority of the members in Reunion, being a more extroverted person as compared to himself. Along with the Aegir being an Infected, it was only natural in his mind that something like that would turn out.

Something was gazing at him, so Megumi turned toward where it was coming from. He didn't have much of a reaction himself, but the person—or rather people—who came into his line of sight visibly flinched. He knew it wasn't from the frost of the snow, but most likely the iciness of his gaze. It was a bad habit.

The two possessed white hair and black hair respectively, the white haired one he remembered being named Eno. That one in particular was lingering behind the black haired Sasha, while the latter stood protectively in front of him. There was something in Sasha's hands, which was a composite crossbow.

However, there was no ill intention that Megumi sensed, or any sense of danger. Only a friend protecting the other one, so he turned away and decided to go on where his predetermined path was. He never had a good or bad relationship with them, but it was still a fickle bridge to walk upon. Better to just ignore them than cause any more misunderstandings.

The sunlight on the settlement paved a road for where he wanted to go, toward the place where FrostNova and the Yeti Squadron were. Recently, he had heard that there hadn't been many successive trades with the local villages nearby. With the Ursus Imperial Army ramping up their efforts in oppressing the Infected, they had been far too fearful to become involved with the Reunion Movement, in any way possible.

He hoped that they had better results starting from now, and succeeded in their goal at the end. With what he wanted to do next when reaching Chernobog, it would only be natural that it would provide a modicum of support for Reunion. Something he had decided upon himself a choice that hadn't been influenced by anybody else.

Megumi came to the campfire where he would usually talk with FrostNova or Talulah. The fire was unlit, seeing how the temperature wasn't as cold as it usually would be during night, along with the sun already illuminating everything—so there would be no need to have one rampantly consuming firewood at the moment.

"Talulah." The Sorcerer didn't need to turn upwards to hear who was approaching him from the footsteps in the snow. From the amount of weight and pressure applied to the floor, his senses could already pick up who it was, "were you waiting for me?"

"No, I was curious what you were doing here," Talulah said, watching as he turned around to greet her. "Is there something you want to say? You usually do when you're around this area." Spending a month with him in their grounds had made her pick up a few of his social cues, this being the most common one.

"You guessed right," Megumi placed his hands in his pockets, but couldn't be seen from the obstructing white cloak draped around his shoulders. "Me and Laurentina are going to depart today."

"...Oh," Talulah paused in her steps for a little, making sure she had heard right. "I should have expected it, but I wouldn't have expected it to be so sudden," the Draco nervously laughed while scratching her cheek, "if that's the case, then I wouldn't want to hold you up."

"I just wanted to say my goodbyes," Megumi looked off elsewhere while speaking, "I think staying with Reunion made my experience here a lot better." He decided to give the woman that, seeing how he would have already left ages ago if it weren't for Talulah's suggestion to visit the Reunion settlement.

"You're not saying that just to make me feel better, are you?" Talulah slightly chuckled while asking him the question, placing her right hand on her hip.

"What do you take me for?" Megumi shot her a grumpy look, before turning back to what he was observing earlier. Which was nothing. "Besides, I don't think I've been a good influence to your members either, my presence always makes them wary."

A third voice cut in, slightly catching the two off guard, "maybe if you took more effort to socialize."

Megumi and Talulah turned to the third party, recognizing her to be FrostNova. The Cautus was fiddling with the dagger she usually had on her person, before placing it back in its holster.

"You're leaving already? Well, I wouldn't have expected a month to pass by so fast," FrostNova commented while shuffling her arms under her cloak. "Just curious though, where are you going next?" The rabbit lady made her way to the logs, before sitting down.

Talulah and Megumi remained standing.

"Where will I go...? Well, I haven't fully decided on it yet." Megumi shrugged, "I already told Laurentina I'd have it planned out by the time we reach some other place, but..." he scrunched his brows "...Leithanien, probably."

"Leithanien?" Talulah asked out loud, "I've studied it a few times... I heard their treatment of the Infected is better than some other places," the Draco decided to give her two cents, feeling the other's gaze turn on her. "They don't ostracize the Infected as much as other places... but of course, you know—"

"It doesn't always work out like that, is that right?" Megumi chimed in.

"—About so, yes." Talulah let out a small sigh, "but still, I would say it's a much better place compared to others in regards to that. Laurentina shouldn't be as ostracized as she would be in Ursus."

FrostNova hummed, "they value skilled Arts users, don't they?" The frost rabbit turned toward Megumi after speaking that line, gauging his expression. He looked interested, "I've heard it from the Shieldguards and my father when they were lecturing us about the other countries... I'm pretty sure you'd be well-respected among them, considering what you have at your disposal."

"Indeed, I believe that would be the case," Talulah placed a hand under her chin, before she vaguely remembered what her task for the day was. "Well, I believe that's about the time I have left for this conversation," she turned to regard both Megumi and FrostNova. "I pray you have safe travels, Mr. Fushiguro, I need to be off to a village to get more supplies."

"Oh," FrostNova nodded towards her, "it's that village a bit far off, isn't it? It doesn't get many patrol members—or any at all—if I recall correctly."

"I believe that's the gist of it," Talulah affirmed what she believed. "Make sure to look after the Reunion members while I'm gone, but I'm pretty sure Patriot would also be returning today." She started walking away with a wave.

The dragon lady's footsteps were imprinted in the snow, which were bound to be covered up as time passed. Soon enough, her back disappeared into the shadows of the forest, no light illuminating her figure.

"Hm," FrostNova let out a sound of, watching her friend depart into the darkness. Something felt wrong, but the rabbit lady decided to let it go for now. She then turned to Megumi. "What she said before—have safe travels," she gave a small wave toward, along with a small smile.

"I..." the black haired man wanted to say something when looking at the Cautus, but decided to stomach it "...I'll take Talulah and your prayers to heart, thank you." Megumi replied without much of a passionate flair, but the two already knew that some of his words were sincere.

"I doubt you'd have to worry much about danger," FrostNova spoke with a humorous tone, implying something that was obvious to the two.

"Of course, of course," Megumi let out a sigh, "but it's better to be safe than sorry." The black haired man turned around, it was time for him to make his departure. "Laurentina's probably already done with her farewells, so it won't be a good idea for me to keep her waiting."

He was about to depart, but FrostNova's voice cut him off in his tracks.

"Hold on, wait, I forgot to give you something," she watched as her words made Megumi stop and turn around with a curious expression. Standing up from where she sat, she casually fished for something in her pocket, before the sound of wrappers were heard. Taking a few steps to him, he placed her fist in front of him, "here, open your palm."

"Is this what I think it is?" Megumi commented while holding out his palm, facing upwards toward the hovering limb of FrostNova's. "It really is," the black haired man was slightly taken aback, but then found that it wasn't too much of a shocker. "Thank you, once more."

"There's no need to thank me," FrostNova shook her head, before taking a step back. "Well, I hope fate brings our paths together once again, if it even exists." The Cautus woman gave him a small wave, watching the black haired man shut his eyes and close his hands over the wrapped candy.

"I'll be looking forward to it, then," Megumi said. It would be hard for anybody else to tell if he truly meant it, but the Sorcerer could oddly feel as if FrostNova had understood his message completely well—despite the monotony of his voice.

"That makes the two of us."

***

The black jeep drove across the snowy ground of the Tundra, leaving its tire tracks across the ground. Megumi watched as Laurentina stared behind herself, looking at the Reunion members waving off to them. He was pretty sure that they were for the Abyssal Hunter, seeing how many small connections she had made back then.

"Enjoyed your stay?" Megumi placed his elbow on the car door, resting his head on a closed fist.

"Environment and housing could have been better," Laurentina replied, "but I can't deny—it was definitely something else."

"A different experience, I take it?" Megumi knew the drive toward Chernobog would be a slightly long one, so might as well make some small talk.

"I didn't expect you to become so talkative," Laurentina giggled, before turning away from the Reunion Settlement. They had already disappeared from view, so there was no use looking back at them. "Still, I'm not averse to such a thing, I'm more glad that our little Princess is finally becoming more sociable~!"

"Yes, whatever you say," Megumi didn't feel the need to correct her, he didn't have the energy for such a thing at the moment. Right now, he needed to mentally prepare himself for what he was going to pull off in Chernobog, something that even the Sorcerer himself believed to be utterly stupid.

Yet it was the only thing that felt like it would quell his burning wrath toward this twisted country. It was all in the files that he read and what he had witnessed back in the concentration camps and mines of the tundras which had led him to resort to outrageous measures. The words of the Royal Guards had also been incessantly ringing in his head—the declaration that he had become the enemy of an entire country.

Only as time passed did the message become much more clearer to Fushiguro Megumi. Despite having a beast of legend which could level an entire city given enough time—Yamata-no-Orochi and its ceaseless breath—he didn't think it'd be quite enough to overthrow a nation. Gojo Satoru would be able to do it with ease.

The air became quiet after a few more banters between the two, before the both of them had been content with watching the passing scenery. Megumi in particular leaned further back on his chair, watching the tundra snow eventually start to dissipate from view. It would only be an hour or so that he was greeted with the sight of melting snow.

The Sorcerer noted how the journey wasn't always smooth sailing, being pulled over by Ursus patrol squadrons who had caught sight of their vehicle. To put it simply, it didn't fare well for those who had done so.

With the rate that they were going at, Megumi was sure they would reach Chernobog, eventually.

For now, all that was left for him was to steel his nerves.

***

Tires screeched against the asphalt, long lines of cars driving across the monotone city. There were flashing of pale yellow lights off at the commercial buildings around, the citizens of Ursus walking upon the sidewalks engrossed in whatever activities had reeled them in. Whether it be looking at blue lights of artificiality, or calling somebody of note—it was a scene that breathed life. Life of an urban city.

The journey was faster than he could have anticipated, but it was a welcome surprise. He wanted to get this done with as quickly as possible, with the consequences and potential problems that could come with what his current goals were.

Chernobog was a bustling city, just as any other would be. If Megumi had to compare this one to the sleepless city of Lungmen, then he would say it had its features that separated it from Lungmen. First of all, its colors. There were many things about a city that differentiated it from other cities, and the factor that most contributed to such a facet was 'color.'

While Lungmen was bright and filled with culture that related back to Chinese tradition and such, Chernobog was a lot more dull and industrial. Although it looked standardized in what an urban city should feel and look like, Megumi had to wonder if its... unappealing aesthetic was part of its design philosophy.

Well, it didn't matter at the moment. Laurentina was waiting for him in a car parked far away from the Nomadic City, so he'd better make this quick. Taking in a deep breath, the black haired man reassessed Chernobog once more. There were people going about their day as normal wage workers, along with multiple sites of construction spanning from what he could see.

Whether they were projects long in the works or not really didn't matter much to him. Just looking at this city belonging to Ursus already made him sick. The citizens didn't deserve to have the same view he had of this city to be placed on them, and Megumi was wise enough to know such a thing.

His primary target was their military, those bastards who have been harassing the Infected and doing as they pleased. They weren't even corrupt, because the Sorcerer was sure such disgusting behaviour was encouraged in the environment they were in. Megumi now had to question... had any of them, for a single moment—thought what they were doing was morally wrong?

'They probably have, and that makes it so much more disgusting,' Megumi knew they were trash, and he was sure they wouldn't even deny themselves being trash. So it was upon his 'divine duty' to make sure they knew their goddamn place. 'I've already pinpointed some military places which hold those higher-ups, they're no different from Jujutsu Society's.'

A dense fog formed at the precipice of the city. It was a fitting scenery for the environment, the black haori blending right in with its depressive atmosphere. Instead of seeing the beauty that came with a simplistic city such as this, or confining within the dullness which Fushiguro Megumi held a bias for, the Ten Shadows user couldn't find any enjoyment in it.

Akin to staring at something that had become disillusioned before his eyes, that was all Megumi could make of cityscapes. When he was a child, there was always a sense of wonder, seeing how humanity had made such progress in creating all of these towering structures which reached for the skies. Along with that, knowing that the thousands of ants littered beneath his feet were actually all humans within his view—was a profound feeling.

Tsumiki would take him to these sites whenever they wanted to get away from home. It was marvelous, so much in fact that he had taken this hobby with him to high school. However, after high school, Megumi couldn't find any time to admire such a sight during college. Thankfully, he still had enough downtime during some missions to be able to experience this sort of thing again.

It reminded him of his sister, as if she were still there with him.

He looked to the side, to see a phantom, a black outline marred with nothing but what looked to be scribbles. Her hair should be where her head was at, but it was becoming rough for him to remember what it looked like. Megumi couldn't truly remember what his sister looked like when they were young, he could only imagine the unconscious one of when she was an adult.

Cold, unfeeling, and pale. The curse marked above her forehead was all too clear to him, etching deep within the confines of what should be his mental mind. It was always the warmest of memories which burned the deepest into somebody's brains, and yet; it was also the coldest ones which could also leave a sinking frostbite. One that felt like it burned, despite being so frigid.

'I want to curse...' Megumi placed a hand over his face, his listless eyes having lost sight of what he wanted to see, lost sight of what his goals had been. In fact, there was no other goal for him other than to press forward. Moving in unison with his Shikigami to carve a path out of the rubble was what he was doing at the moment, and what he believed to be the only thing he would do in the foreseeable future '...I want to curse something. Anything.'

There was no path made by other people such as Gojo Satoru or Itadori Yuji, he didn't have anybody to influence how the general layout should be made. Just looking in some general direction and moving through was the best the Sorcerer had to work with, and it rang ever truer the more he stayed in this world.

Releasing his hand slowly from his face, he glanced downward to the city. The walks of life making up this consolidated place where people could look forward to the future wasn't something he could be a part of anymore. Not by circumstances, but definitely by volition, a volition he had imposed on himself. Although, the former would definitely be a factor if he had kept going at the rate he was.

'The more I stare at this, the more disconnected I feel,' Megumi mulled over his thoughts. Right after, he moved to sit at the ledge, continuing to analyze what his emotions were telling him. They weren't the best things to follow, and he was a Sorcerer who prided himself with logic. However, the 'Sorcerer' was sure that most of the decisions taken in his life weren't one of logic, but emotion.

How contradictory was he even to himself? The mentality of being selfless, to be a team player was one he thought was finely crafted by 'logic,' but was merely his 'emotion' of wanting to be somebody everybody could rely on. Ironically, doubling down on his own selfishness was the greatest logical step he could have done, something that even Gojo Satoru had seen through. Funnily enough far before even his 'logical' mind could ever.

So why did there need to be logic in what he wanted to do? Selfishness never required logic, and in his case, it was definitely the most reasonable choice he could make right now, a win-win situation. He was going to further appease himself, that was what Fushiguro Megumi had decided on. Release what he felt deep within in all of its splendor, for there was no need to let himself be tied down by unnecessary burdens.

Like shedding one's skin.

It was then he made his declaration.

'I curse you, everything that you stand for,' Megumi stared down in disgust, nearly retching his gut when his pupils shook against the might of the city in front of him. It was vast, large and incomparable to the outposts which he had laid waste to.

He wasn't going to kill needlessly, but he sure was going to give fear needlessly. A message to those who had declared him as their enemy.

His body shook, every fiber of his being itching at the irresistible feeling that had wretched its claw on him. The Sorcerer's eyes turned into a deathly glare, taking in the sights before him one last time. There was no sense of euphoria or adrenaline, only a deep-seated rage when he recalled everything that had happened in the past few days.

Gnashing his teeth and shakily bringing his hands together, Fushiguro Megumi had declared his ultimatum to what the Empire of Ursus was. 'Bleed open your heart, speak all which you have been hiding underneath that thinly guised veil around yourself...' his fierce gaze was shadowed. A gale blew across the peak of the skyscraper in which he stood upon, the clouds above gathering.

The sunlight which was casted upon the city had faded away with the approach of the clouds, the nimbus obstructing anything from reaching out to it with their warmth. Atop the skyscraper which the Strongest Sorcerer of Tomorrow stood on, was where the light of the Heavens had peered through.

His mouth opened.

"YAMATA-NO-OROCHI!"

***

Citizens and workers alike all walked upon the streets without so much as a hint of life present within their bones. Pretentious people walked across the roads, preaching their advertisements of great products and business opportunities, while the alleyways laid skulked with trash and crystalline outcasts.

A monstrance decoration penetrated all walks of life which was present. From the buildings to the windows to the assets placed within the inside structures—there was a delicate and forbidden feel to it, as the scenery was beheld only for those of a... 'certain' criteria. Such is the way for most cities, for it was not only limited to the Ursine Nomadic City.

Everybody had their own life, and there was no need for anybody to be as obnoxious as interrupting the natural flow of things. With this unspoken agreement between all people—whether they were aware of it or not—it had come together to create the scenery which they were all a part of.

...That would have been the case, however, if everything about their day had gone as planned. But the world wasn't always as anybody would have expected it to be, and the strange events happening all across the world by the second was a testament to that. It only took time... before it had also reached their place of residency.

It all boiled down to chance, and Chernobog's time had come, in the form of a most grisly sight. There were black clouds forming over the sky, bearing down an overcast of shadows all across the city. It caught even the attention of those who were engrossed in their phones, as they looked upwards.

The encroaching darkness was so sudden and jarring that nearly everybody had paused what they were doing to analyze the scene. Their minds, honed over centuries of ancestral development and gene inheritance, didn't think much of it, predicting that it was most likely rain clouds forming.

However, they weren't just rain clouds.

Thunder streaked across the floating phenomena which painted the skies, weaving together to irradiate a wrathful eminence. The ocean of blue which stood above their head was no longer there, declaring that their right of nature's warmth had been revoked completely. Suddenly, the thunder had turned red, an unnatural color even for Catastrophes that would ravage the land.

Whispers and murmurs were heard, coalescing together to create a cacophony of mystery and approaching doom. They grew louder and louder, reaching the apex of a crescendo before a brief sense of hysteria overtook a person, then two, then five, and soon enough, twelve. Like a lit matchstick falling haplessly to the ground and igniting fuel for its pyre, a tapestry of the underworld was immediately formed.

To the panicking and hysterical masses increasing in numbers of who could logically make sense of the situation, it was as if they had stepped into a net of promises. One filled to the brim with nothing but promises of their demise, if the citizens had not acted fast enough. When a single match was ignited and lit up the surroundings with its wistful movements, it would eventually slip out of anybody's controlling grasp.

Shuffling of feet haphazardly dancing across the ground was heard, as sixteen piercing lights had penetrated through the covering shield of the horizon's dawn. The clouds rippled, a pattern of waves forming around it, imitating water that had a hand dipped within it. Soon enough, the sixteen lights had revealed themselves to be gleaming orbs of red, wide and gaping—evidence of a beast ladened in its dark blankets.

The screeches of the masses rose to higher levels, fingers jabbing to numbers and people pushing their uncouth movements onto others. Many fell over from their uncontrolled pirouette, crashing to the ground to taste the cold pavement that was their own city. Some continued to scramble to their feet, while others were stuck in a shell-shocked state where not a single muscle would twitch to their demands.

Soon enough, a serpentine hiss was heard, innumerable rain drops dripping down from the cloud as the thunderstruck canvas it emerged from thrived in its presence. It wasn't nature which followed the serpent's will, but nature which followed its own. Eight heads surpassing the size of buildings which scraped the skies strung out, coiled in a wild splendor.

Golden steam emitted from all its mouth, travelling across its cheek and untoward the black clouds, never to be seen again. The sight was an authoritative one, as if it was declaring the world around it to be its own domain. Indeed, the eight rosy fingers of a deity have already laid claim to the city.

***

Hellagur rubbed his beard, staring at the amount of patients that had entered Azazel Clinic today. They were all Infected, no longer wanted by the land of Ursus and treated as nothing but trash to be thrown on the pavement and left to rot. Such was the fate of many people who had been unfortunate enough to stray in the path of the dreaded black shards which promised death—yet at the same time did it also promise prosperity.

Originium, both a curse and a blessing.

There was no need for him to elaborate upon it in his mind, for he already knew enough about the energy source for all the good and bad things it brought. Instead of cursing the heralding terror and disease it wrought upon the lands of Terra—for it would prove as effective as hollering to a tornado—Hellagur had instead taken his time and effort to treat those who have been stabbed by its fierce prickles.

It was a shadow casted scene, a somber air having been formulated amongst all of his patients. That was to be expected, and it was a decadent sight he had been presented with the many years the Hippogryph had experienced in this area of profession.

He walked across the scene, making sure to check up on his patient's conditions with a clinical gaze, and a few soft questions here and there. They ranged from neutral-faced people to despair ridden expression, perhaps the realization that the world had abandoned them was starting to settle in.

For those who had already undergone the process, they simply sat in silence, thinking of what they could do to reach the finish line that was tomorrow. Hellagur didn't wish to charge them much, or charge them at all. With how difficult their lives were bound to become after becoming struck upside the head by Oripathy, presenting them with a medical bill would be adding salt to the wound.

So, he was willing to provide his services for free.

His thoughts were dispelled when the TV screen at the corner of the room suddenly shifted to a 'BREAKING NEWS' title, the headlining constructed in such a way that it attracted attention as efficiently as possible. The audio reverberated across the room, as the plastered digital image made from artificial lights had become completely clear.

Hellagur found his attention turned to it after he had checked up on the last patient, placing his hands behind his back to take sight of what had warranted such a sudden change in channels. From the grumbling of some people around him, the Hippogryph was sure that they also held a sentimental frustration at the sudden change.

His aged eyes widened at the absurd imagery before him, and he had to wonder if what he was seeing was a very realistic Higashinese painting given life in the form of terror itself. Closing his eyes and opening it again, Hellagur had found out that neither his senses nor instincts were betraying what was being seen before his eyes.

In the world of the television screen, there was an eight-headed serpent of great colossal size that dispersed the gathered black clouds under their slithering necks. They spanned across multiple skyscrapers, their mere head alone eclipsing even some of them... along with its breath emitting a smoke of golden death.

He worried for his patients, wondering if Higashi's mythological beasts had decided to bare their fangs toward Ursus. Hellagur knew of enough information about their Shinto gods and their great power, and envoying one of their grandiose beasts to lay their fangs within Ursus wasn't a completely absurd notion. These assumptions were all based on the rare happenings of the Bloodpeak Campaign that he had the displeasure of witnessing.

They were underground, but with the massive size of the beast being paraded across the news had the Hippogryph calculating if they would be able to breach the underground clinic. Based on his astute observations, Hellagur was completely sure that it could breach the streets like a ram and collapse the city's sewer system—and even reach where the clinic was.

There was no need for hesitance, he needed to act fast for the sake of his clinic and his patients.

***

Megumi walked through the wastelands outside of Ursus. They were cold, more cold compared to the other ones he had visited, such as the ones closer to the south. However, they weren't as cold compared to the tundras he had experienced, for only a small amount of their wintry mist had leaked through from the howling gale.

The Sorcerer's eyes were empty, dragging Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi behind him, the jingling bells and flowing cloth emanating a serene sound. It had fallen into place well, but not too well for the black haired man. Like an incomplete puzzle piece, the rather half-assed plan he created wasn't anything to celebrate. Pausing his steps and looking back at the city of Chernobog which was covered with black clouds—that were dispersing—Megumi recounted what he could have done better.

Perhaps he was in far too much of a rush to get back to Laurentina that he didn't use the shadows to preemptively skulk around the vicinity of the Ursus military bases stationed in Chernobog. The targets he was after that were written in the files were supposed to be there, but he had only been able to lay claim to the lives of about four of them. In total, there were supposed to be seven.

Heaving a breath, the black haired man decided to let the matter be. He didn't want to take innocent lives and thrash a part of the city which wasn't actively involved in Reunion's suffering in the north, it was far too petty for him. He had already injected a high dosage of fear in them with the summoning of Yamata-no-Orochi, which was supposed to serve as a distraction for him to go after who he was truly after.

Right now, the Totality had already dispelled, the lingering Cursed Energy and storm clouds it had formed still remaining. Eventually, they would pass away as any day would, and Fushiguro Megumi was content to leave it as it was. The Reunion Movement should fare much better now that those bastards were gone, so he could rest easily and head where he wanted to go.

The black jeep where Laurentina was at became clear to him, making the black haired man heave a sigh of relief. It was all over, the rage stirring in his body and soul had been alleviated, but the twisting feeling of his home coming back to remind him of its azure nostalgia still remained. It was relieving yet also so bitter.

Placing Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi back into his shadow inventory, he made his way toward the vehicle, a single phrase echoing in his mind like a holy bespoken mantra...

'...Be more selfish.'

He gave a small prayer to those bodies never to be seen again, stuck in the neverending scar that was Ursus' cold winter. One that would hopefully, ease their souls and carry them safely through the afterlife, and back into the karmic cycle of reincarnation—if it truly existed. Letting his arms fall limp, Megumi breathed out.

'...Be more selfish.'

By all definition, since the conception of their existence—Jujutsu Sorcerers have always done however they pleased...

...And Fushiguro Megumi, was a Jujutsu Sorcerer...

So why? Why did it feel so unsatisfying?