Saving You (ItaFushi)

Chapter 24

The silence was deafening.

The air was heavy, and the weight of his words settled on Megumi's shoulders like a physical presence.

"No," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "That's not... It's not possible..."

He felt the bile rising in his throat, and the nausea washed over him in waves. The jet-black hair, the cruel, sharp features, the muscular build. He had recognized them, had seen the similarities, and yet...

It can't be.

He took a deep breath, and swallowed hard.

"You're sure?"

Nanami's face was grim, and he nodded slowly.

"Yes. I've never actually met him, so I didn't recognize him at first, but I've seen his picture, and more importantly, heard the stories about his strength. It's unmistakable."

Megumi's eyes went to the body, lying lifeless on the ground, the hilt of the knife protruding from his skull.

His father.

His father.

"Were there stories about him?" Megumi asked, his voice hoarse.

Nanami looked like he was trying to choose his words carefully. "There were many stories, most of them about his prowess as a fighter."

Megumi raised an eyebrow at the vague answer, and Nanami sighed.

"Look, Fushiguro-kun, this is not my place to tell you."

Megumi bit his lip. "But... there was something. Wasn't there?"

"There was," Nanami conceded, his expression guarded. "You should talk to Gojo about it."

"Gojo-sensei?"

"He knows the story, and I'm sure he would tell you."

Megumi clenched his jaw, and nodded. "Okay. Okay, I'll talk to him."

"We need to get back to the school," Nanami said, looking down at Ino. "He needs medical attention. While you were fighting, I managed to stabilize him, but he needs to be taken care of properly."

"Right, of course," Megumi agreed, his thoughts racing.

"I'll report in," Nanami said, taking out his phone.

They headed to the car that was waiting for them, the tension palpable.

What did Gojo know? What had he not told him? Megumi always assumed his father was a good-for-nothing, deadbeat loser, who sold him to the Zen'in clan in exchange for a large sum of money. But, he never really had any interest in finding out anything about him. After all, the man had abandoned him and Tsumiki, and there was no reason to care about him.

Well, he supposed, it was still strange to find out that the man you just fought was your father, even if you never had any desire to know him.

Of course, Megumi knew that it wasn't his father's real body, but still...

"Are you okay, Fushiguro-kun?" Nanami asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Megumi replied, not meeting his gaze.

"If you want to talk, I'm here."

"I know."

"And, Gojo, too," Nanami added. "He's a pain in the ass, but he cares about you."

Megumi didn't answer, and the rest of the ride passed in silence.

When they reached the school, they took Ino to the infirmary, and Nanami went to report to Yaga. Apart from Ino, there were a couple of other sorcerers who had been injured, but no one was seriously hurt.