LADY AOKI || JUJUTSU KAISEN

五, fall of the cursed clan

The birth of Anzu's little brother was the first tremor of the avalanche, the first tumble that began the destruction of her family.

She was born a rich noble, the only daughter of the Aozora clan and one of two blessed children who had inherited their family's innate technique, though she could never pride herself on it. Her father, the head of their clan, was an impatient, misogynistic old man whose bellowing voice could make a barrel of wine tremble from across the room.

Luckily for the rest of them, he and the other males resided quietly as servants and maids rushed about, hefting pails of water and carrying fresh linen. The atmosphere was tense, and once in a while a strangled wail could be heard from behind walls: the lady of the house was in labour.

Anzu sat beneath the gentle shade of a drooping cherry tree, its long pink tresses flowed with the wind and kissed her face as she watched the water trickle in a nearby stream. She and the other children had been shooed to the gardens, lest they get in the way.

The sounds of swords clashing and voices yelling drew her attention as she perked up to see a pair of boys duelling in the clearing, flashes of metal reflected the warm afternoon sunlight.

"Sagari!" One of them called, dropping his blade to extend both arms in a serpent-like motion and a mare erupted from the shadows. A powerful beast with a hide like polished ivory, muscles rippling beneath and a mane like fire, it whinnied loudly as it darted in front of its master and intercepted his opponent. 

"Hey! This was supposed to be purely technical!" The other yelled, playful accusations in his tone as he dodged and parried with a long katana, the blade doing little to deflect the horse's large hoofs. "No shikigami!"

"Then you might as well walk up to Inumaki and tell him to speak in full sentences!" 

"Shut it Zenin!"

He was lightning quick, his sword an extension of his arm as he darted in and out of view. Anzu watched, exhilarated, as he backed away, clasped his hands together and muttered a few words, and suddenly a rush of cold air announced an eerie third presence, chilling and powerful. The boy seemed to morph as he straightened up and sheathed his sword: he stood taller, much broader, his bare hands and feet clawed and shimmering blue scales littered his exposed forearms. A long, whip-like tail protruded from beneath his clothes, coiling in the grass, and a pair of elegant horns extended from his scalp.

"Rekcus, euqinhcet ruoy no yler syawla t'nac uoy." His deep, gravelly voice raked the minds of those within range, sending a shiver down Anzu's spine. You can't always rely on your technique, sucker.

"Who are you calling a sucker?" The shikigami user rolled his eyes and wiggled his fingers sarcastically, the mare nickered softly as it melted away in a pool of shadow. "C'mon, you know what happened last time you pit your dragon against my mare. I thought we agreed you wouldn't get my shikigami tangled in that boogie woogie of yours."

The boy exhaled loudly, the beast-like qualities of his body deflating as he returned to the figure of a stocky teen. Hot waves of dispelling cursed energy rolled off of him, pungent and alluring, Anzu felt herself unconsciously shying away from the exulting aura of his power. The dragon had long been a companion of her family's legacy, shadowing her ancestors as they fought and won, it was the sigil of her house. Their great grandfather was the last to earn its allegiance before passing it on to his successors.

"Aozora Akinori." She whispered, drawing circles in her palm as she stood up and brushed off her skirts. "A special grade sorcerer at eighteen, next in line after father."

Akinori rolled his neck slowly, blinking his eyes vigorously until his pupils returned to its deep chocolate brown. "Ah yeah, that felt good."

An amused smirk crept onto his lips as he glanced over to where Anzu stood half-hidden under the tree, her light pink skirts blending her into the floral pastels of cherry blossoms. He elbowed his friend and jerked his chin over to where she watched them quietly.