Ethereal Connection ♡ ⌇ Sukuna x Reader ⌇ ♡

Chapter 24

"Patch work..! The one Mr. Nanami mentioned!" she thought.

"Run, Junpei! I don't know what your relationship is with him, but run away now!" Yuji urged, panic in his voice.

"Calm down, Itadori." Junpei insisted.

"Junpei...No..!" Y/N exclaimed with a concerned voice as her face painted with worry and slight confusion.

"Y/N! No don't come close! You too run! It's not safe!" Yuji warned, glancing at Y/N as the human look-alike cursed spirit advanced toward Junpei.

"No! Yuji, Y/N.. Mahito is not.." Junpei started but froze before he could finish.

The patch work placed his hand on Junpei's right shoulder.

"You know you're smart, right, Junpei?" the curse mockingly questioned as Junpei's head turned towards the hand, horror on his face.

"But sometimes, deliberation can lead to more serious consequences than rash actions. You're the typical example." the patch work continued.

Y/N glanced at them, attempting to draw the rapier from it's sheath secured on her waist like a fanny pack. However, as she began to move, her arm stung, causing a severe tingling sensation. This caused her grab her arm and wince in pain. She noticed that the cloth securing it had become loose.

Her head tilted up and her gaze on Junpei. She furrowed her eyebrows in discomfort, her hand reached for the unraveling knot. But before she could do anything, tragedy struck.

"You're just as stupid as those you looked down on. And that's why you'll die." the curse declared, and in an instant, Junpei's body was reshaped, causing him to become a monstrous and distorted form.

Their eyes widened at the sight, Mahito released his grip on Yuji, causing him to slip down at the ground while Y/N stopped her movements.

"Junpei..." Y/N muttered his name.

"Come on, let's begin the second round." the curse declared, forcing the transfigured Junpei to attack Yuji.

Yuji took the first hit, but on the next two, he stopped the punches and held the transfiguration in place.

"Junpei, Junpei! Snap out of it. I'll treat you now." Yuji pleaded, standing there, grappling with the transfiguration.

Y/N observed the situation, her heart shattering in pieces as her eyes witnessed death of someone close to her.

Y/N and Junpei might not have known each other for long, but she felt deep down that their friendship was more than a mere formality. It indeed held genuine emotions of trust, affection, and care.

Her eyes slightly welled up upon observing Junpei relentlessly attacking Yuji.

Her unconscious mind failed to recognize that the poison in her arm was slowly spreading again due to the loosened knot.

"Sukuna... Sukuna!" Yuji suddenly called out in a loud voice.

Y/N snapped and watched.

"What is it?" a mouth formed under Yuji's left under eye slit.

"I'll do anything! Do whatever you want with me! So please heal Junpei like how you..cured my heart back then!" Yuji pleaded, desperation in his voice.

"I refuse." Sukuna responded.

"Darn you." Yuji muttered under his breath.

"I'm so happy! You gave up your pride and future. You gave up everything to beg me. But you can't save anything." Sukuna mocked Yuji.

"Y-Yuji..." Y/N uttered under her breath, pained by Sukuna's harsh, derisive comments. Concerned how such words would affect Yuji.

"You're so miserable, brat." Sukuna ridiculed him, his laughter echoing.

Abruptly, Y/N heard another giggle as she turned her face toward the source.

Both Sukuna and Mahito mocked Yuji, laughing at him. Y/N's concern peaked, sadness filling her as she just wanted to get up and confront or even more satisfying, kill the two curses for ridiculing her precious Yuji.

But she was too weak to do anything.

"He's dead already? I did transfigure him a little too violently, after all." the patch work spoke, laughing.

"No wonder he's dead." the curse continued, but before anything, Yuji punched Mahito in the face, causing Mahito to lose his balance, yet he flew and stood up the stairs.

"Y/N go, if he touches you, you'll die and I don't want to lose anyone else." Yuji spoke in a stern tone, emotions evident in his words.

The curse kept speaking but Y/N and Yuji had their own conversation.

"Yuji..! I can't leave you like that.. please!"

"Y/N, please, if I ever need help, I'll call you. If you don't want to leave, that's okay, but please stay far away and don't let him touch you." Yuji said, turning towards Y/N.

The look of despair on Yuji's face was enough for her to agree.

She nodded and sought refuge in one of the classrooms nearby.

Resting her back against the wall, she leaned her head back, her mind swirling with thoughts.

"I'm gonna kill you!"

Y/N heard Yuji's enraged voice, which sent shivers down her spine. After a few seconds, her attention shifted to her arm, which was now even more infected than before.

Gasping, her other arm reached for the thin cloth, unwrapping it. She then slowly tied it again tightly.

"The spirit didn't seem to be interested in me. It felt like it's sole purpose was to trigger Yuji.. I wonder why..."

"I mean, I am pretty easy to kill.."

Y/N thought.

Soon, her thoughts were interrupted by loud sounds of smacks, banging, thuds, thumps, and swirling movements. Her ears were constantly bombarded with these unpleasant sounds, which irritated her.

The fact that she couldn't help Yuji, made her feel miserable. Her thoughts again making it's way to negativity.

"I'm so fucking useless.."

"I can't even help my friends.."

"I'm so weak.."

"No wonder I keep losing those dear to me.."

"I do deserve all this..."

"But they don't deserve to die cause of me.."

Her eyes teared up as the background noise continued with those unappealing sounds. Those slightly teary eyes soon turned into a breakdown due to everything flooding back in her mind, and the clattering sounds fueled her despair.