HAVEN || SATORU GOJO

XXXII

"YOU KNOW .. I'M REALLY SORRY."

Rieka had received very few apologies on how the world had wronged her — how she was stuck with the responsibilities of others since the very beginning of it all. So when she had heard the five letter word, it nearly made her scoff.

Ever since being named a special grade with unknown powers that weren't registered in the database, the Urashima child was named as Yuki Tsumuko's substitute. It had been like that for some time until she made a name for herself, but even that took a long time.

The blonde haired older woman had been a special grade since being a late teenager, after being a plasma star vessel and being incompatible with Tengen. She was born in nearly the same exact situation as Rieka.

After all, their fates were always intertwined.

They were both born to give their lives up for the sake of humanity — for the greater good of the world.

And they both thought it was irrational and unjust to them and they sought to change it.

But somewhere along the lines, their goals changed.

Yuki continued to chase after plans and ideas, visions of what she could do to clear the world of curses so that the cycle of star plasma vessels and the pain of sorcerers could be over.

But what she chased was nothing more than a rude awakening.

"You're sorry? For what?" Rieka took a drag out of her cigarette.

They stared down at the barren wasteland of a town, devastated and demolished by Ryomen Sukuna's domain expansion and his victory over Mahogora.

The younger sorceress didn't hate the woman. She didn't hate Yuki for always being overseas, running away from the higher ups, chasing solutions that seemed logical — but just couldn't be executed.

In a sense .. they were also opposites.

The one that merely watched from the sidelines .. and the one that acted.

"For putting all of that on you. I should've, shouldn't I? stayed I mean."

"I guess I really am a coward!" She giggled.

Rieka put out her cigarette, turning around to face the sky behind them, leaning against the railing as she sighed. A tired sigh. She was very tired.

"You think staying back to protect Tengen from the inevitable will make up for your absence? You're going to die .. y'know."

"Kenjaku isn't a sorcerer from this generation — he's been a sorcerer from every generation. In a plain fight, whether or not it's two on one .. he'll outsmart us in some way. Knowledge wise .. he's only second to tengen. Ability wise? He has everything at his disposal. He started a ritual, a culling game that's already entrapped nearly all of Japan."

"Yuki, you will die. Do you really think .. we can afford to lose a special grade right now?"

"If you're really sorry, you wouldn't sacrifice yourself so carelessly."

Deep under the seemingly sharp words, there was remorse, compassion. The special grade thought it was doubtful how Rieka could spare such emotions for her.

But in reality, Rieka pitied her.

And pity was worse than dislike in so many ways.

"Then would you rather sacrifice another special grade? Yuta Okkotsu, the next Satoru Gojo? Or yourself, someone who's well within her capabilities of surpassing me? Or would you rather someone less qualified — one of Gojo's pupils?"